Threads of Fate
by KagetsukiVII
Summary: Naruto will bring Sasuke back at all costs. Sasuke will kill his brother without fail. But what happens when they start to lose themsleves in the process? plz review
1. Things Fall Apart

**I rescued this story from fanlibs. Trying to finish it with some changes**

**Pairings are mostly Naru/Hina. Naru/Saku mbe, depends on the reviews**

**I do not own Naruto btw. Wish I did tho. T.T**

**Naruto: Threads of Fate**

**Chapter 1 - Things Fall Apart**

"_It's a promise of a lifetime!"_

Naruto pounded his fist into the practice dummy outside the ninja academy's training area. He tried to drown out the words the echoed inside his head with the sound of his fists hitting wood. It only fueled his anger more as the voice in his mind seemed to get louder with each blow. His blond mane now falling in his face, drenched with sweat dripping into his eyes, blurring his vision. The genin had been striking the oak wood dummy for so long that his hands had long gone numb from the pain.

_I will bring him back, Sakura-chan!"_

Another fist went flying into another arm on the dummy, this time blood starting to drip from his knuckles. The voices of inspiration cut to his very soul. Over and over, the image of a hopeful Sakura replayed in his mind like a movie stuck on repeat.

"_. . I promise!"_

Blood gushed from his knuckle with the next blow. He ignored it and continued to strike the dummy. For the first time in his life, Naruto had failed to keep a promise; compared the self doubt that plagued the young man, the pain of his hand was nothing. Self doubt was a rare thing for Naruto. However, at the valley of the end he has failed to bring back his former teammate. That failure not only affected him but Sakura-chan as well.

In the last three weeks, Sakura had not been her cheerful and sweet self. Since he and the rest of Shikamaru's team had returned her whole personality changed. She had taken to smiling a lot, yet it wasn't a smile the young shinobi recognized. Naruto knew better. He was a master of using a smile to hide his true feelings, and he could tell right away the girl was hurting inside. He did give her credit for trying to hide her pain. However, he noticed little things about her that some of the others in the village might have missed. She didn't have the same skip in her step when she made her way around town. When she wasn't training with him and Kakashi-sensei, she kept her eyes down and always looked so sad. She had also stopped scolding him about his behavior, which worried him the most.

Of course, Naruto felt he was to blame for the young girl's behavior. That was what he told himself and nothing would change his mind. If he had just brought Sasuke back in the first place, she would still be smiling, she would still scold him and he would never have to see those sad emerald orbs.

"_Don't worry, Sakura-chan! Leave it to me!"_

Tears started stinging his eyes, the voices now sounded like they were coming from everywhere around him. Why wasn't he strong enough? Why couldn't he do what was needed? Why couldn't he bring back Sasuke?

"Damnit ..." Naruto said to himself. "Damn that Sasuke!" He emphasized his last words with another strike to the dummy, leaving fist-shaped blood stains. "Why did you have to make Sakura-chan cry!?"

As much as he tried to convince himself that it was his former teammate's fault, he still couldn't shake his own feelings of guilt. _Sasuke, that idiot!_ He thought as another one of his blows nearly cracked the dummy. The blood from his fists were now dripping down his sleeves and soaking through his jacket. _Why did he have to go and mess up a good thing? We were all happy and on our way to becoming great ninjas!_ Naruto tried to fight his tears back, but he failed miserably. His breathing was becoming labored and he struck the dummy with more force. _You had everything! You had the Sharingan, people liked you, you were a genius ninja, Sakura-chan cared about you. . ._

Naruto stopped hitting the dummy and collapsed to his knees, his eyes now dreary and red from the tears as they flowed freely. His cerulean blue orbs were now completely devoid of emotion and he couldn't help but feel the familiar emotions of hurt and loneliness. He had let down the girl he loved. It didn't matter to him that she didn't return his feelings; he was hurt because he couldn't keep his promise to her. Naruto Uzumaki always kept his word no matter what. It had been his way. Now, it wasn't true anymore.

He looked down at his hands, now bruised and bloody from his workout. "I'm not going to give up, Sasuke." He said to himself silently. "You're coming back because I promised Sakura-chan I would bring you back. I don't care if I have to beat you till you're senseless."

"You're not concentrating hard enough! Try again!"

Tsunade stood over Sakura as she scolded her for what seemed like the one hundredth time. The young girl was breathing hard and her red dress in tatters. Her training with the Fifth Hokage started at dawn and her progress had been slow throughout the day. In fact, her overall training as Tsunade's apprentice had been slow going with little progress. She had been proud of herself to having the courage to ask her if she would take her on an apprentice, but at the moment her lack of success had given way to second thoughts.

"You have to have total control over your chakra, Sakura" Tsunade explained. "A Medic-Nin cannot afford anything less. You are the first and last line of hope for any of your teammates if they are in injured."

"Yes, sensei." Sakura replied. She began to concentrate all her chakra into her hand once again, willing it to take the shape of a knife. The goal was to hold the chakra knife's form effortlessly while doing other tasks, such as fighting or dodging the enemy. In order to hone the young kunoichi's skill, Tsunade forced Sakura to dodge an assault while the girl held her chakra blades. To make matters worst she was not attack.

"Move faster! The enemy will not give you time to breathe!" The Hokage shouted at her before throwing a large number of kunai her way. Sakura did her best to dodge, but the blades were starting to blur. The Hokage was fast, faster than she realized, but it was to be expected; she was a legendary ninja after all.

The rain of kunai and darts did not stop coming at Sakura, but the girl moved as fast as she could. Getting close to Tsunade was easier said than done. The female Sannin moved around the room at a speed Sakura couldn't detect, so Sakura never knew where the woman was or where the attacks coming from.

"_I've got to keep moving."_ She told herself. _"I've got to get stronger so I can bring him back."_ Her mind went back to the day she opened up the door at the hospital and heard Naruto say that Sasuke got away. That moment was all that was needed to distract her and allow one of the kunai to hit her. She fell to the ground with a yelp as the blade sliced her across the side of her leg. She crumpled to the ground, unable to look Tsunade in the eye out of shame. The Fifth walked over to the sullen Sakura, looking her over briefly before reaching a hand out to help her apprentice.

"You did much better than the last time. That's the closest you've come to me. But you have to clear you're mind if you wish to master this. You have to keep you're control at all times. A medic-nin is only as good as their concentration. Remember that." Tsunade explained. Sakura would have smiled at the small praise her teacher gave her if she was hadn't been so determined to be serious during her training. She took The Fifth's hand and pulled herself up before dusting herself off. "Now once again."

"Hai!"

Sakura concentrated once more to bring the chakra blade to life and then she steeled her gaze at her teacher. She had a job to do, and she promised Naruto she was going to help him. _"He made a promise."_ She thought. _"Naruto_ _never makes promises unless he intends to keep them. And I'll be by his side to help him next time! Sasuke, I'm coming for you!"_

"Don't stop this time!" Tsunade shouted at the young girl. Sakura did no intend to do so.

*************************************************

"So you've found me." The slithery-voice rasped at the dark-haired young man.

"Yes"

"And you realize why you sought me?"

"Because of power."

Sasuke did not struggle as he stood before Orochimaru. The two Sound Ninja guards held him, but he knew he could easily get dispose of them. No, he had no reason to fear them, or Orochimaru in this case. Orochimaru stood up from his seat and walked towards him. Sasuke did not twitch of avert his eyes.

"You realize that I will give you nothing for free." The Oto leader said to him, his predatory expression locked on the young boy.

"Then I'll work for you." Sasuke said simply. Orochimaru raised an eyebrow then laughed.

"Work for me! No one just works for me, Sasuke. They pledge their lives to me."

"Then I'll pledge my life to you," Sasuke told him. Orochimaru touched the young man's chin, pulling his face level with his own.

"And how much power do you desire, Sasuke Uchiha?"

"Enough power to kill my brother," He said simply. "If you give me that power, I will be loyal only to you."

Orochimaru stood up slowly and then placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. He smiled triumphantly, finally achieving the first of his goals! He snapped his fingers and the two guards released him. As they both slid into he shadows, another ninja appeared next to the Legendary Snake Sanin. He held out something to his master, and Orochimaru took it into his hand. It was a forehead protector with the insignia of the Hidden Village of Sound. He held it out over the young man's head and looked at it. He smiled once more before tying it into place around his head and stood back.

"Sasuke Uchiha, you belong to me now."


	2. The Phoenix Always Rises From the Ashes

Threads of Fate The Phoenix Always Rises From The Ashes

Chapter 2 - The Phoenix Always Rises From the Ashes

"What do we do with them?"

Tsunade looked up at the Copy Ninja as he looked out of the window of her office. She knew this was coming. She had hoped to avoid it, but something had to be done.

"I believe it's still too soon for them to be given another teammate." She told Kakashi. "I don't think they will take well to a new member, no matter who it is."

"I agree with you," Kakashi told her. "They won't accept anyone else into Team Seven right now."

"Regardless, we can't afford to have them inactive. They are too valuable. I also don't want to give up on the Uchiha boy just yet. So I have an idea that might work for a while. . ."

Hinata stood around the corner from the training grounds trying to keep out of site as she watched Naruto practice.

"_Naruto-kun is pushing himself harder than I've ever seen him go before_." She thought. _"I hope he is alright_." She twiddled her fingers absently as she watched him. Naruto wasn't wearing his usual orange jacket, only his pants and a black t-shirt. His hands and arms were wrapped in bandages almost up to his elbows. It reminded Hinata of the way Lee wrapped his arms before going into battle.

Hinata didn't like the look in Naruto's eye. He didn't look like his usual happy self. She could tell just by his aggressiveness that his spirit wasn't the same. She had watched him over the years and she knew his usual cheerful demeanor all too well. It was such an inspiration for her to see the determination in his eyes, that same determination which as helped him beat her cousin during the Chunin exams. At this moment however, the determination in his blue eyes was different. There was a fire, but instead of the usual optimistic look of hope there was an air of unfriendliness and frustration that Hinata found very unsettling. This was not the Naruto-kun she had grown to care about and admire over the years. _"Please be alright Naruto-kun."_ She thought to herself. _"I'll make sure you will be ok, no matter what."_

It was then that Naruto noticed her. Hinata's eyes met his and she blushed, averting her eyes nervously before stepping out from her hiding spot. "_No sense in hiding if he can see me._" She thought. Naruto's expression was one of puzzlement.

"What are you doing here, Hinata?" he asked her. He did not sound upset that she was watching him, only surprised. Considering his current attitude, Hinata took it as a good sign.

"I-I was making sure you were ok." She said quickly, her voice barely above a whisper. "We we're all worried about you while you were in the hospital."

"Thanks, Hinata, but you need not worry about me." He said. "I've got to train and prepare for the when we go back after Sasuke." Hinata's white eyes narrowed and she dropped her head slightly at the mention of the Uchiha clan member. He had escaped from the team sent after him and was believed to be seeking Orochimaru, the snake Sannin who killed the Third Hokage. If Naruto and went after him again, they might have to fight him. Someone like him had untold amounts of power and who knew what he was capable of . . .

Before Hinata could finish her thought, she was startled by the sudden appearance of Naruto's sensei. Kakashi materialized out of thin air in front of them, his uncovered eye looking down at the two genin.

"Naruto, Hinata. I'm glad I found both of you," he explained. "The Hokage wants to speak with you." Both genin exchanged confused looks.

"Both of us?" Naruto finally asked.

"Yes, she wants to see both of you. In fact, she wants to see all of the rookies who participated in the Chunin exam. I would hurry up if I were you two; she doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Naruto looked around the office of the Hokage at his former classmates. The remaining all eight were there, most of them arriving before he did. _"I wonder what Old Lady Tsunade is up to."_ He thought as he looked at everyone. Even the Jounin instructors from each team were present. Whatever it the Hokage wanted must be a pretty big deal. Tsunade looked over each and every face before taking a breath and speaking. _"This is going to be different, but we have no choice."_

"As you all know, some of your teams have lost members," Tsunade began. Naruto and Sakura didn't have to look up to feel every eye on them at that moment. Both of them averted the glances from their friends and former classmates as they tried to keep their attention on the Hokage. "However, it would seem troublesome to reshuffle the teams and force the new teams to get used to each other. It would also be more difficult to bring in different genin to certain groups without causing problems. Therefore, I have come up with a solution. Starting now, all of you will be one large team."

Everyone's eyes grew wide at the Hokage's announcement. _"One big team?"_ Naruto thought as he looked at everyone. _"How will that work?"_

I know what you are thinking, but you will not be a team in the traditional sense. From now on, you will all train together. Your sensei's will all supervise all of you. Because Shikamaru is a Chunin, he will be in charge when your teachers are not present."

"Ah, more things for me to worry about." Shikamaru said out loud. "It's been so troublesome sense getting promoted"

"We can always change the status of your rank, Shikamaru." Tsunade gave the lazy boy a stern look which conveyed the idea that it was in his best interest to shut up. Shikamaru quickly got the message and closed his mouth to allow the Hokage to continue.

"From now on, you will be selected for missions based on your abilities. Any of you can be teamed up with anyone else from this group here. This means everyone will have to trust each other and be able to work with everyone. Being that you all came from the same class from the academy and you all have a particular history together, this should be easier for you than if it were done with other teams."

"But why are you putting us all together now?" Naruto blurted out.

"There is another reason for this as well. . . the reason I'm placing you together now as a unit is because you will all be asked to become specialists. This means you will have to choose to take on a specialty role and train under a willing Jounin. Once you begin your specialty training, it will be more difficult to pair all of you up with different teams. I would rather pool you together now while you are learning your specialties so you'll learn each other's strengths and weaknesses. There will be a day that I send you all out on a mission together, and I want to be sure you all will be ready to complete that mission when that time comes."

They all remained silent at this. This was usually training reserved for Chunin. Genin rarely were allowed to have apprenticeships due to the typical structure of the three-man team. Chunin on the other hand, did not have to stick with teams and were often allowed missions as individuals. They were allowed to start specialty training because they could choose their path as shinobi at that point in their careers. They all knew they were getting something few genin were allowed and each of the nine genin's eyes shone with excitement.

While they were excited about the idea of working together with their friends again, both Sakura and Naruto were thinking the same thing when Tsunade mentioned possible joint missions; _Sasuke_. "I want you all to take the next few days to think about what you wish to specialize in and who you wish to train you. It will be important to everyone in this room and you must be prepared to give everything you have. If you have no more questions, then you are all dismissed." The eight genin and their instructors filed out of the office silently. A few of the remaining members of the rookie nine began talking to each other once they got outside, the Hokage's office, but Hinata was busy thinking of the possibilities of her new situation.

"_I'll be on a team with Naruto-kun_." She thought excitedly. _"We can train together and we might go on missions together."_ The thought of having to work closely with Naruto made Hinata's pale skin flush a deeper red than normal. She began to hum happily to herself as she thought about the possibilities. _"At least now I can watch over Naruto-kun and make sure he is alright."_

It was very important that she look after Naruto. He was special to her, after all and he had started to acknowledge her. She walked towards her home trying to think of the best way to help her new teammate. At last, she believed she found a way to be of the best help. Hinata decided then that she would ask the Hokage about becoming a medic-nin tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Ino was walking along with Sakura talking about the possibilities of their new situation.

"It looks like we will have to work together, Sakura-chan." The blonde girl said. "I already heard you were working under Hokage to be a medic-nin, so I guess there is no need for you to worry about choosing a specialty."

"No, I don't suppose there is." Sakura said absentmindedly.

"I don't think I could work under Lady Tsunade, I heard it is tough to be a medic-nin." Ino touched her friend on the shoulder to stop her, and Sakura looked up to see Ino smiling back at her. "Listen, I know it's hard right now for you, but remember, you have friends who will always be here for you." Sakura smiled at Ino's words. Ino may appear to be vain, but Sakura knew she had a big heart when it came to those she loved. After all, Ino had been the one to first give her confidence in herself.

"Thank you, Ino." She said as she bowed to her friend. "You've always been a good friend to me."

"It's ok, forehead girl," Ino said joked. "You sometimes forget. But that's why I'm here to remind you." The blonde girl winked at her friend. "Look, now that we don't Sasuke to worry about, we can be best friends again, right?" Sakura's smile faded quickly at the mention of Sasuke.

"Yeah, no Sasuke." She tried to laugh it off, but it was clearly forced. _"Sasuke-kun, why did you have to leave?_ She thought. _"Please come back to us. Please come back to me!"_

"Kakashi-sensei?"

Naruto stood behind his teacher silently, awaiting him to acknowledge his presence. Kakashi turned around and looked down from his book at he blond-haired boy.

"What is it, Naruto?"

"I want you to train me."

"I will be training you everyday, Naruto"

"No, I mean I want you to train me separately from the others."

Kakashi raised his visible eyebrow at the boy. He knew what was coming.

"You want to be my apprentice, is that it?"

"Yeah, that's right, sensei."

"And why is that? I don't have a specialty to teach you."

"But you were the last person to train Sasuke."

Kakashi looked the boy in the eyes now. He was afraid Naruto might try something like this. He didn't need him getting any ideas in his head about going after his former teammate; at least not now.

"Naruto, Sasuke is gone."

"So Hokage isn't going to send us all out after him?" Kakashi averted his eyes from the boy. The silence was all the confirmation Naruto needed.

"You're more observant than I realized." He told his student. "You've grown up quite a bit, Naruto."

"Kakashi-sensei, there is going to come a time when I have to fight him again. I have to know everything and be prepared for anything. You are the only person who can help me with that." The look in Naruto's eyes was all proof Kakashi needed to see. If he didn't teach him, he might go after his friend before he was ready, or worse, by himself. At least this way he could keep an eye on him.

"Ok, Naruto. After training tomorrow, we will go and work privately in the woods. But it will be tough. No slacking."

"Hai!" The boy gone before Kakashi could speak again. _"You've got a lot of work to do, Naruto. But I think you can do it."_ Kakashi went back to his reading his book, while Naruto ran along the rooftops towards his next destination. The young shinobi had to talk to a few more people. . .


	3. Bad Moon Rising

Threads of Fate Bad Moon Rising

**Threads o** **f Fate**

**Chapter 3 - Bad Moon Rising**

"Kill Him."

Sasuke Uchiha stood in the center of the room, eyes closed and standing in a defensive taijutsu stance. Surrounding him in the room were roughly thirty Oto-nin, most of them were genin with a small number of chuunin mixed in the group. The almost pitch black room only had enough light for Sasuke to make out rough outlines of his attackers, the Uchiha prodigy did not need to see who he was up against.

Shifting most of his body weight to his back foot, Sasuke altered his stance. One blink of his eyes and the blood-colored Sharingan orbs activated themselves. Without the slightest bit of concentration, Sasuke's bloodline revealed to him where the first attack would come from.

One of the Sound ninja standing behind Sasuke launched himself recklessly at the teen. _"Wait for it." S_asuke thought to himself while he remained perfectly still. He could not believe how slow his opponent seemed to be moving. From his perspective, the Uchiha's would-be assailant appeared to be wading through thick water instead of speed at him mid-air with a kunai raised to attack. _"Now."_ With his opponent only inches away from plunging a blade into his back, Sasuke reacted. In one swift movement, Sasuke avoided the attack and countered with a spinning kick to the sound ninja's mid section. The surprised genin wasn't prepared for the genius's swift maneuver and had no time to react to his body being hurled towards a nearby wall. The impact left an intention in the wall and knocked the shinobi out before he even landed on the ground. Sasuke, with silent grace and precision, returned to his original stance in the middle of the room.

The other ninja surrounding the teen suddenly felt unsure of their situation. Thirty to one was supposed to be in their favor, but the expression of the boy made them feel like the odds didn't matter in this case. A few of them exchanged confused glances with each other and a while others began to sweat underneath the hooded masks that covered their faces. Still, a few gathered up enough courage to mount an attack on the young man and decided to launch themselves at him in much the same clumsy manner as the first assailant.

_Fools._ Sasuke thought to himself. _They have_ _no idea what they_ _are up against_. He glanced over his shoulder and flashed a confident grin to his attackers. Suddenly, there was a quick flicker and the boy was no longer there. Before any of them could react to the sudden disappearance of their victim, the onslaught began. Sasuke appeared behind one attacker and sent him flying into another one with a kick to the head. Almost instantly he appeared next to another one and grabbed him by the flack jacket before flinging the Oto-nin into a large group of shinobi standing around in a cluster. None of them had time to scatter and they were all knocked down as the body crashed into group.

All around the room other shinobi where disposed of in the same quick, efficient fashion. Bodies were slung into each other haphazardly and limbs were broken or torn off. So harsh was the assault on the group of ninjas that the sound of breaking bones echoed off the walls. Splatters of crimson stained the floor and walls, and as quickly as it hand begun, it was over. Sasuke landed back in the middle of the room and adopted his original stance as he surveyed the damage. All around him injured men tried to pull themselves off the ground while others screamed from the pain of missing or broken limbs.

Orochimaru stood up from his throne and started clapping. It was a slow methodical clap that echoed throughout the room. He looked at his apprentice with a satisfied gleam in his serpentine eyes and continued to applaud the display of vicious combat before he crossed the room to personally congratulate the Uchiha prodigy.

"Impressive, Sasuke," The snake man praised. "You've improved so much in such a small amount of time. I can't wait to see what you do when I teach you to properly harness the power of your seal." He placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder as he stood by him. "You will make an excellent tool."

"Just allow me to kill my brother and I'll do whatever you ask." Sasuke said simply. He knew he was getting closer. The young man could _taste_ the power coursing through his blood. He wasn't the same boy from Hidden Leaf how had kneeled before Orochimaru begging for power. He was Uchiha Sasuke, the avenger and only heir to the Uchiha clan. _I will only get stronger._ He told himself as he reached up to touch the mark on his neck.

It had been necessary for him to leave his Konoha. It was not personal, at least in his mind it had not been. Leaving his home was simply something that had to be done. No one in Hidden Leaf could give him the power he desired. . . no, _needed_. If he could not get the power he was needed from his home, then he would go elsewhere. It didn't matter to Sasuke if he got it from Orochimaru or anyone else; he HAD to find a way to achieve his goals. He had no time to play with the likes of Naruto and Sakura while he brother was out there getting stronger_. Itachi, when we were children, you always held your power over me. You refused to help me get better and you only used your power to destroy everyone who loved you. I will be the one to send you to hell_.

Of course, he knew they would come for him. Konoha had to look for him. He had broken their law and knew that his former teammate would come seeking to drag him back. He had not thought about them in over three months, not since the fight at the waterfall. He almost lost his life to his best friend and rival that day. Somehow, the blond idiot found ways to close the gap between them. Every time Sasuke thought he had a leg up on Naruto, the loudmouth surprised Sasuke with some hidden talent or ability he never dreamed the dobe would be capable of. He hated to admit it, but Naruto was the only one who could be a threat to his revenge. Sasuke knew somewhere in Konoha, Naruto was pushing himself as hard as he doing right now. He knew they would meet and Naruto would try once again to beat him and take him back to Konoha. But Sasuke wouldn't let that happen. He had only scratched the surface of what Orochimaru could give him and he knew when he finished training that his skill would be more than enough to handle his old friend. The next time the two former teammates met on the battlefield, Sasuke would make sure the gap of power between them would be so wide that Naruto would never be able to touch him again_. I'll show you why my clan was so feared, Naruto_. He thought as he pictured the blonde's smiling face. _You_ _will see why I was the genius and you were the dead last_.

"You'll have your revenge all in due time, but you are still not ready to face your brother, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru told him. "However, you are ready for a mission. I am sending you with Kabuto to take care of something for me. I need you both to track something down that is very necessary for my plans. It will be a good test of your efficiency and your skills. If you return successful, then it will be time to for you to take the next step in your training"

Orochimaru's second in command and spy stepped from the shadows at the mention of his name. Kabuto looked Sasuke over and adjusted his glasses. He smiled at the boy before directing his attention to Orochimaru. "Kabuto, you will take Sasuke with you on you're next mission. Take care of my apprentice and make sure you are successful in completing your task. You can fill him in on the details when you leave." Kabuto nodded and bowed to his master.

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto told his master. Sasuke sneered as he watched the Orochimaru's lackey. In the few months he had been here, Kabuto had tried to befriend the former Leaf genin. However, something about him was unnerving. Something told Sasuke not to trust this man so he kept his distance and only spoke to him when it was necessary.

"Do not disappoint me, Sasuke-kun. You've done so well recently and I would hate to see you fail so soon after your impressive progress." The snake man's eyes glittered like the predatory eyes of the snake his face mimicked so well. Sasuke held his gaze without blinking, showing the former Leaf sannin that he would not be intimidated. The Oto leader smiled once again at both men before turning to leave the room. When the Sound leader was gone, Kabuto removed his glasses and produced a cleaning cloth before he turned to speak to Sasuke.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun." He said smugly. "Don't get too confident. This mission won't be easy. Just because Orochimaru likes you now doesn't mean you are free to do whatever you want. But you shouldn't worry; I'll watch your back while we are away."

"I'll handle myself just fine, Kabuto-_san_." Sasuke said in a mocking tone as he spoke the med-nin's name. "You should worry more about yourself than what I do. If you don't, you might find yourself on the wrong end of my chidori."

"Watch you're mouth you insignificant little-"

Sasuke stared at back at Kabuto, his eyes narrowed and Sharingan once again active and glowing. Kabuto read the silent rage swelling within the teen's eyes and for once felt the dread of fear sliding down his spine.

"I don't think you want to anger me," There was an edge to Sasuke's harsh whisper that which unnerved the medical ninja. He instinctively took a step back as he felt the massive killing intent radiating off the Uchiha survivor. "I won't hesitate to do to you what I did to those men lying over there if you cross me." Sasuke gestured to the pile of shinobi he had disposed of during his demonstration. There was a slight hint of fear in Kubuto's eyes, but he quickly hid it before Sasuke could take notice.

"I think you'll do well, Sasuke-kun." Kabuto laughed as he put his glasses back on. Satisfied he had gotten his message across, Sasuke made his way to the exit of the chamber. He was careful not to turn his back on Kabuto and he never once took his eyes off of him until he closed the door behind himself.

_You'll do well to watch yourself, Sasuke._ Kabuto thought as he watched the young man seal the door. _"Cross me and you'll find out why_ _Orochimaru-sama favors me above all others."_


	4. The Reason

Threads of Fate The Reason

Threads of Fate

Chapter 4 - The Reason

The jungle was thick with an eerie mist that rose up to the treetops. The surrounding area was inhumanly quiet, save for the various noises from the animals indigenous to the area. It didn't look like a place anyone would willingly inhabit, yet there at the bottom of the hill, was a fairly large encampment. The inhabitants of the camp counted on the area's remote location to keep people away. However, it had not stopped four ninja from finding them.

Shikamaru looked through his binoculars at the group of buildings in the clearing below. There were several guards wandering the grounds, and from his judgment they all looked experienced. _How Troublesome._ He thought as he mentally counted the visible guards. _That guy said there were fewer guards than this. This could definitely be a problem. I wish the Fifth had given me a few more people when she gave me this mission._

The chuunin genius had been assigned to lead a four-man squad by the Hokage. It was a search and retrieval job commissioned by Wave country. Due to the small country's recent growth, their shipments had become targets for various groups of thieves and criminals. As a result, a payment of gold to a rather lucrative client had been stolen while it was en route to its destination. Konohagakure had been hired to retrieve the gold and deliver it to the client.

Tsunade had given the lazy chuunin both Hinata and Kiba to use as trackers. Naruto had been placed as the fourth member of the unit partly because of his brawn, but mainly because the Wave Country officials had insisted. To the citizens of the Wave, Naruto was a hero, and they were more than willing to throw in a bonus if Konoha granted their request that the blonde shinobi be used in finding and delivering the shipment.

For the last week, the squad had tracked rumors throughout Wave that a small band operating out of a jungle was responsible for the theft. Shikamaru and his team traveled village to village looking for the whereabouts of this rogue group and their base of operations. Up until recently, the trail had gone cold and Shikamaru had been getting frustrated with running into dead ends. But it was a chance encounter that gave them the lead they needed.

While waiting at the bar of a local establishment, a rather shabby-looking man burst in through the front door causing a ruckus with his two female companions. This in itself wasn't that unusual. However, when he sat down at the bar to order and threw down a bar of Wave Country-stamped gold, Shikamaru began to take notice. Two hours later and some "creative" questioning got them what they wanted. According to their friend from the bar, the thieves had a hideaway a few miles into the jungle. He gave them the location of the stolen gold and the number of men guarding it. After leaving their unwilling informant with the local authorities, the four-man cell traveled through the jungle to the location given to them.

Shikamaru glanced over at the rest of his teammates who were perched on a nearby branch. Kiba and his dog companion Akumaru were using their keen Inuzuka senses to scout the area, while Hinata stuck close to Naruto. The blonde shinobi was leaning against the tree, his mind clearly not on what he was supposed to be doing. Shikamaru sighed and shook his head as he watched his teammate. Naruto had been a bit of a problem recently. Not his usual problem of being too loud or too hyper, but not listening to anything anyone told him. He never seemed to listen to anyone during training other than Kakashi-sensei, and Shikamaru thought it would be a major problem while they were on the mission. So far Naruto hadn't done anything wrong other than act like he didn't care if they succeeded or not. At the moment, Shikamaru had been content to let Hinata tend to the blonde's needs; at least he seemed to be less of a hassle when she was around.

"So what's going on down there?" Naruto asked silently. It made Shikamaru uneasy as to how quiet Naruto had become. It used to be that everyone had to tell him to be quiet, but during this whole mission Naruto rarely made a sound, something Shikamaru thought would be impossible. He even managed to sneak up on him a few times. _"The boy is getting frightening. I wonder when he got that way?"_ The chuunin pondered.

"There are more guards down in the camp than we were led to believe. We'll wait until nightfall to try to sneak in." He told the boy. Naruto sniffed and turned away from him.

"I think we should go in now and get them when they least expect it. They wouldn't think someone would strike in broad daylight."

"The point of sneaking in is not to be seen at all," Shikamaru said. "If we wait until nightfall, there will be less of a chance we'll be spotted." Naruto simply shrugged in response.

"Do what you want; I'm going to have a look around the perimeter of the camp." The blonde genin was gone before Shikamaru could protest.

"Damnit!" he cursed out loud. "I knew he was going to be trouble!" He glanced over at the remaining members of the team. Kiba's expression matched Shikamaru's anger and Hinata looked off in the direction that Naruto went in. "Anyone else want to join him?" he asked dryly.

"He will be back soon, I'm sure of it." Hinata said to reassure them. However, she didn't sound very convinced herself and Shikamaru wasn't about to go chasing him down.

"Let the idiot go on his own, as long as he doesn't give away our position I guess it's alright."

"How can you be so nonchalant about it? He took off without any order!" an outraged Kiba whispered harshly as he pointed towards the direction Naruto ran off in.

"Naruto may be impulsive, but he's never let any of us down. Not when it counted. Besides, with the way he's been moving around, I don't think we have too much to be worried about. You can't tell me you haven't noticed the improvements in his stealth." Some of the anger left Kiba's face when he thought about his recent interactions with his blonde teammate.

"Kiba-kun, have faith in Naruto-kun," Hinata told her friend. "He never abandons his friends."

To Hinata and Shikamaru's surprise, Naruto did not come back when night fell. They had waited four hours in the same spot, but Shikamaru felt they couldn't wait for him any longer. "Damn that Naruto, where the hell is he?" Shikamaru grumbled to his teammates. "We can't wait for him anymore. We're going in now. Naruto will have to take care of himself until we find him." Shikamaru swore under his breath, thinking of the report he was going to have to write to the Hokage once they returned home.

"Maybe we should give him a few more minutes." Hinata suggested. Shikamaru just shook his head.

"We've given that idiot enough time as it is." He explained. "I'll have to say something about his insubordination to the Hokage once we get back to the village. For all we know, he could have been captured already and the enemy could know we're here." Hinata sighed as she followed him and Kiba down through the trees. They crept along silently, careful to avoid the lit areas near the buildings. Shikamaru found a vantage point on the ground where they could see most of the camp without revealing their position. Once in position, the chuunin scanned the camp ground. He only counted four guards around the camp, two in front of the largest building in the encampment and the other two walking around the middle area. The number of guards was considerably down from earlier in the day, which was a good sign on the surface. However, Shikamaru had gone on enough missions to realize something wasn't right. _First they had this- entire area covered, now all of the sudden they barely have the grounds covered. I don't like it._ Despite his gut feeling, he knew they might not get a better chance than the one they had now.

"Security's lax now so we will try to sneak inside the main building." He told his team. "Hinata, scan the houses to see if they are occupied." Hinata nodded to him, her expression growing serious as she began the jutsu to release her bloodline ability.

"Byakugan," Her eyes grew whiter and the veins around her eyes began to pulse as she released the chakra in her eyes. Once ready, she scanned the build carefully for chakra signatures.

"No one is in the building, but there is a locked chest upstairs." She told Shikamaru.

"Want to bet that's where they are hiding the gold?" The chuunin leader actually grinned. _At least something was going well._ "We hit the building fast, in and out in two minutes; no more, got it?" His other two teammates nodded in approval. Shikamaru made a motion towards the building and turned around to take the lead.

Something he sensed, however, stopped him from taking more than two steps.

_What was that?_ Shikamaru thought as he felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickling. Someone was watching them now, and he couldn't figure out where that person was. His two teammates sensed it as well, as Hinata began to look around nervously and Akumaru began growling.

"You won't be taking anything, shinobi," a voice bellowed at them. Shikamaru's reflexes told him to fling his body towards his two other teammates. Again, his gut reaction saved their lives as he noticed a kunai fly over their heads after he knocked them down. _"Damn, we've been spotted!"_ The three of them scrambled to their feet and instinctively took defensive positions with their back against each other.

"Hinata, where are they?" Shikamaru asked quickly. She was already scanning the area before her squad leader spoke.

"Six of them all around us, mostly in the trees."

"Damn! They've got us outnumbered!" Kiba complained. They all tensed up and moved closer together, readying themselves for any attack that might come their way. They did not have to wait for long, for one of their attackers appeared above them. He fell towards Hinata, knife clutched above his head ready to strike. Hinata's eyes grew with panic. _He's too fast._ She thought. She told herself to move, but fear kept her feet firmly planted on the ground. The only thing she could do was close her eyes and wait for death.

But death never came.

She heard the sound of metal tearing flesh, but she did not feel any pain. She hesitantly opened her eyes, shocked that she was alive. She held her breath as she stared into the pained eyes of her attacker hovering inches away from her. A guttural sound came from the thief, and Hinata' watched as he fell to the ground slowly, giving her a clear view of her savior. The young kunoichi's heart fluttered when Uzumaki Naruto came into view, flashing a very Naruto-like confident grin while clutching a bloodily kunai.

"N-Naruto-kun?" she said hesitantly. As if to answer her, he grabbed his headband and made a slight hat tipping motion before he flicked his kunai at the ground to get rid of the blood.

"Sorry I'm late, but I was following this scum to see what they were up to." He explained not bothering to hide the hint of smug arrogance in his voice. "Besides, the hero has to wait until the last minute, right?" If not for the total shock of the situation, Hinata would have smiled. Naruto, the boy whom she had loved for as long as she could remember, had _saved_ her. The blonde genin never looked as heroic to her as he did at that moment. As Hinata looked on, both of her teammates shared in her shock. Kiba's jaw appeared as if it threatened to fall to the ground and Shikamaru rubbed his eyes. Their attackers were equally shocked, totally not expecting a cavalry for their intended victims. However, they quickly regrouped.

"One more of you will not make a difference. You all will still die here!" A gruff voice shouted from the trees. The four Konoha shinobi looked up to see two more bandits coming from the trees surrounding them, but Naruto was already a step ahead of the attackers. With a simple hand seal, he vanished from sight and everyone, including his own team, was confused as to where he had disappeared to.

"I won't allow you to hurt my friends!" Naruto shouted after he appeared behind the two men. They weren't able to respond, however, before he slammed their heads together.

By this time, the remaining thieves made themselves visible. Instead of going for the group, they went for the biggest threat; Naruto. However, the genin was already prepared for them, as he again used his speed to render their attacks useless.

_"That looks. ."_ Thought Shikamaru as Naruto sent the first assailant flying into a tree.

"_. . just like. . ."_ Hinata wondered as the next attacker crashed head-first into the ground.

"_. . . Lee's speed technique."_ Kiba pondered after Naruto made short work of the final thief. Indeed, the entire time Naruto was in combat, he only appeared to flicker around his opponents -much in the same way Rock Lee did whenever he removed his weights. Never once did anyone see him make one full movement, seeing flashes and blinding motions their eyes couldn't keep up with. Regardless of what they were actually seeing, one thing was clear to the three of them; this wasn't the same Uzumaki Naruto they had grown up with.

The young genin in question stood with his back to his teammates, looking down at the last person he had defeated. He allowed himself a slight grin, but was careful not to show it to his teammates. He was pretty pleased with himself and, as much as he would have loved to have paraded around in triumph, technically they still had a job to do. However, Naruto wouldn't be Naruto if he didn't allow himself a word in edgewise.

"Well, looks like this mission will be over soon," the blonde boy said. "It shouldn't be too tough from here." He turned around to face them, expecting a thank your and perhaps a little praise for his performance. Naruto had not intended to use his new abilities, but when he realized his team was in trouble, he had to do _something_. Kakashi-sensei would have understood that at least. Instead of the expected admiration for his actions, Naruto was met with a mix of emotions from his team. Hinata was all smiles, but Kiba glared at him while his dog companion growled slightly. Shikamaru, most of all, did not look the least bit pleased.

"You idiot! You could have gotten us killed!" He whispered harshly at Naruto.

"Hey! Without me, you all would be dead meat!" Naruto defended.

"You put us at a serious disadvantage when you left earlier! We didn't know where you went or what you were doing. For all we know, you leaving could have compromised our position and allowed them to find us!"

"I was following THEM!" Naruto's voice was growing louder.

"It doesn't matter! You disobeyed a direct order!"

Naruto said nothing more. Instead, he slid his hands into his pockets and lowered his head so that his hair fell in his eyes. Shikamaru stood there, glaring at the genin who saved their lives while Kiba and Hinata waited for someone to respond. Finally, it was Naruto who broke the silence.

"We might as well finish the mission then . . . sorry about earlier." He grumbled. Naruto's statement seemed to defuse Shikamaru enough for him to drop it for now. Hinata noticed Naruto had adopted the same look in his eyes that he had whenever she watched him train. Gone was the liveliness he had while he was in battle. The same life was now replaced by a cool and almost metallic glare. _"He's hurt again."_ The young girl thought. _"And all he was doing was trying to help."_

"Let's finish up and get home. . . I'm tired." Shikamaru said, straightening himself up. They all nodded to each other and moved behind him as he led them towards the main building. As they walked, Hinata glanced over to Naruto, who was looking less than happy at the moment.

"I thought you were great back there, Naruto-kun." Hinata whispered to him. Naruto looked up at the young girl and noticed her slight smile. He couldn't help but smile at her in return, and it seemed to be enough for him to release some of his anger. _At least someone appreciates me._ The blonde genin thought.

Despite Naruto's behavior, Shikamaru was _very_ impressed with him. Inwardly, he wanted to praise the genin for saving them, but the fact remained that he left them alone and left them short-handed. His duty forced him to reprimand his teammate, but it didn't keep him from silently thanking him. As he played back the quick battle that had just gone on, he wondered how Naruto was able to move so fast. He only knew two people able to move with that kind of speed; Lee and Sasuke. Apparently, Naruto was becoming much stronger than anyone could have believed. But Naruto hadn't shown any signs of such ability during their training. This was a surprise to him as much as it was to the rest of the team.

While he was extremely thankful Naruto had such abilities and was able to use them during a critical moment, he didn't like the fact that he didn't know everything his teammate was capable of. For now, he would take it as it is and be grateful he was still alive. Later, he would have to have a talk with the blonde Uzumaki to see if there was anything else he didn't know about him. _How did he get so powerful? Is he holding back on us?_

Considering the situation, Shikamaru figured he would hold off telling the Hokage about Naruto's insubordination. In the end, Naruto did help them when it counted, even if it wasn't in the way he planned. Besides, it was the least Shikamaru could do for the guy who just saved his life.

"How troublesome," he sighed.

Sakura stood in front of the memorial stone, fiercely practicing her hand seal technique. The last few months working under Tsunade had seen a lot of progress for the pink-haired girl. She was finally able to hold her chakra scalpel without any problems, and she was starting to learn a few new healing techniques. What shocked her even more was how much more of an efficient fighter she had become due to her training. The preciseness of medical jutsu not only made her more careful, but it made her more aware and technical as a combatant. She could now seek out vital points on the human body and know precisely how to disable them.

She first noticed just how much progress she made during one of her team training sessions. Sakura had been able to render Ino defenseless by temporally cutting the nerves in her arms. Even Kakashi had been amazed at her control and accuracy. However, she still didn't have the stamina to be effective as a medical-nin in the field. She suspected that was the reason why she had been left off the last mission assigned to the group. Sakura figured that Hinata was sent along due to her surprisingly quick grasp at healing techniques.

Needless to say, it made Sakura a little jealous that Hinata was considered more useful than she was despite having a considerable head start on the girl. Still, Sakura found a little comfort in knowing more techniques than the Hyuga heiress. Sakura's growing list of abilities made her indispensable to Tsunade at the hospital, so while she wasn't completely combat ready, she was on her way to being a great doctor.

Threads Of Fate The Reason

This was why she was training so hard now. Night had already come and her normal training time for the day was over hours ago, but Sakura wanted to make sure she knew each seal to the point they were second nature.

"You've gotten much better with those." Someone said from behind her. Sakura spun on her heel and immediately went into a defensive position. She was greeted with the face of her teammate Naruto.

"Oh, Naruto, it's you." Sakura relaxed when she realized who it was. "I didn't know you were back already from you're mission. So did everything go alright?"

"Yeah, I guess." Naruto said sullenly. Sakura immediately picked up on Naruto's mood. He was usually in a fantastic mood after a successful mission, so she knew something wasn't right.

"What happened? No one was injured, were they?"

"No, everyone is fine." He proceeded to tell her about the mission and his disagreement with Shikamaru.

"Baka, it's great that you were able to save everyone, but you really shouldn't have your team alone." Sakura told once Naruto was done with his story. "Shikamaru was right to get on you."

"Yeah, I realize that now. But he made me feel like I didn't do anything useful at all."

"That's not true, Naruto. From the sound of it, you were great. However, you do tend to exaggerate." Sakura gave him a sly smile and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oi! Everything I said was true!" Naruto said defensively. Sakura giggled at him and he only stared at her in confusion.

"I was only kidding, Naruto."

"Oh." The young man said sheepishly.

"Naruto, you've gotten a lot stronger lately. I've seen it in your training," She told her friend. "You've also been a lot better behaved than you used to be. I guess you are becoming more mature after all. I'm really proud of you for that."

Naruto's face was full of disbelief, so unused to hearing such praise from the pink-haired girl. It was rare that Sakura gave him a true compliment.

"Thanks Sakura-chan. It means a lot to hear you say that."

"See, there you go right there."

"What?"

"The old Naruto would have said something goofy or annoying right then. I told you that you've changed." Naruto couldn't help his mouth from forming a wide grin at his friend's words. It was his normal, goofy grin that he used to always have on his face before Sasuke left. Sakura could only shake her head, realizing from his smile that some things just couldn't change. But then, she knew Naruto just wouldn't be Naruto if he changed too much.

Naruto thought about her words and he immediately thought about his promise to her. As he looked at his friend, the expression in his eyes turned serious.

"Sakura-chan," he began in a much more serious tone. "I'm going to keep my promise to you." Sakura smiled solemnly at her teammate.

"I know you will." She told him. "That's why I've been training so hard. I shouldn't have let you hold the burden all on your own. That's why next time you go after him, I'm going to be there with you. We'll do it together."

"I'd like that, Sakura-chan."

"So would I. In fact, I wouldn't have it any other way." The two friends gave each other warm smiles. Their conversation had just shown both of them how much they depended on each other. Naruto and Sakura had become much more than teammates, they had become best friends. Now through their friendship, they shared a common goal that strengthened the bond between them more than either thought possible; a bond they hoped would be strong enough to bring back their lost friend.


	5. Don't Ever Change For Me

Threads of Fate Don't Ever Change For Me

**Threads of Fate**

**Chapter 5 - Don't Ever Change for Me**

"Naruto here, Alpha one in position." Squawked the headset radio.

"Shino here, Alpha two in position." Was the answer.

"Ino here, Alpha three in position." A feminine voice registered over the headset. The trio had taken up residence around a clearing in the woods. Naruto was hidden in a tree near the entrance to the clearing. Ino was hidden behind a large group of bushes and Shino had taken residence behind the rocks in the middle of the clearing. They had gone over this plan for the past hour, now they were waiting for the target to make an appearance. Finally, Naruto saw it.

"Alpha one here, they are coming. Get Ready." He looked out through his binoculars towards the other end of the path and saw what his team was waiting on. "Delta Team headed this way, repeat, Delta Team is headed this way."

"Alpha Two is ready."

"Alpha Three is ready."

"Roger that, guys. We hit them when they get in the middle of the clearing." Naruto watched intently as his team's target came closer to the entrance. '_This should be easy_.'

The young genin thought as he spied his prey closely.

"The first target is in position." Naruto whispered into his headset. His eyes were gleaming with anticipation. Another person walked under Naruto's hiding spot and into the clearing. This brought a wicked smile to his face. "Second target is in position. Alpha Three, get ready."

"Do we go now?" Shino asked over the headset.

"Negative. We wait for all of them." Ino answered.

"Third target is in position. Alpha Team Go!" Naruto whispered excitedly over the radio link. From her vantage point, Ino began her jutsu and aimed at the second target in the clearing. The blonde girl silently mouthed the words to accompany her movements and her body immediately went limp; the tale-tale sign of her body-switching technique. Her target blinked for a moment and staggered, and from Naruto's hiding place, could see Ino's jutsu already taking effect.

"Oi! Shikamaru, are you alright?" The third target said, but 'Shikamaru' only smiled before reaching out to the first target. The possessed Chuunin delivered a swift blow to the back of person's head in front of him. The person never saw it coming and was rendered unconscious by the blow. The unassuming victim turned out to be Choji.

"Alpha Two, it's your turn!" Naruto almost shouted into his headset. He saw his teammate leap out from behind the rocks towards the third target, Sakura. However, the pink-haired genin didn't stay frozen in her place. Shino sent a kick her way, but instead of connecting with Sakura's shoulder, he ended up missing her completely. A puff of smoke appeared in her place and a surprised Shino ended up hitting a large log. Shino found himself flying into a bush because of the sudden disappearance of his target. By some miracle, the young bug master managed to land on his feet instead of in the foliage.

It was about this time that Naruto noticed that his old teammate Sakura had yet to make her reappearance. '_Damnit, she's still on the loose. We didn't expect her to be the last one to come in.'_ Naruto's team had actually expected her to be either first of third in line. The goal was to have Ino possess Shikamaru and take Sakura out or vice versa. They thought for sure Shikamaru would want to take lead just because he was the appointed leader in most situations. They wanted to make sure he couldn't use his Shadow-bind technique and keep Sakura from using her accurate attacks. Now things were getting out of hand.

"Shino! Ino! Watch out for . . ." Naruto didn't bother using his headset when he shouted his warning. Yet it seemed to be too late for Shino. Naruto watched his teammate fall to the ground face first, screaming in pain on the ground as he reached for his ankle. '_Damnit! She did a temp cut on his ankle!_' Naruto silently cursed. He noticed something coming out of the ground near where Shino was laying. It was an arm sticking out of the dirt and it was pulling its owner out of the earth. A moment later, Sakura emerged from a large hole in the ground, covered in dirt but ready to fight.

It had become a common tactic lately for Sakura to temporality cut off the use of her opponent's limbs during training and sparing. Her eye for detail made her a natural for this tactic, and it allowed her a means of disabling her opponents without causing permanent damage. Combining this with her uncanny talent for basic Ninjutsu techniques made her even more dangerous during practice sessions. Kurenai-sensei had affectionately nicknamed her the "Surgical Assassin." At the moment, she was living up to her newfound name.

Naruto choose this moment to make his appearance, using his speed to close in on Sakura. She on the other hand, was expecting him to come after her and had already used another replacement technique. Naruto's attack was off target, but he didn't expect a counter attack so fast. Sakura nailed him with a swift kick to the head knocking him completely out.

"Really Naruto," Sakura said after she landed. "You should have known a front end attack like that wouldn't work." She smiled triumphantly. It wasn't everyday she got the best of Naruto. But instead of seeing her friend pout, she saw him disappear in a cloud of smoke. Sakura's eyes widened as she realized she had made a huge mistake.

"Damnit, he used a-" the girl never got a chance to finish her statement, as she felt a hard blow to he back of her neck. Instantly everything went black and her body went limp and fell towards the ground. Luckily Naruto was there to catch her.

"Really Sakura-chan, you should have known I wouldn't have gone at you from the front. I know you've seen me do that way too many times for it to work against you." He said as he laid his friend on the ground. He grinned at the sight of the sleeping Sakura before turning around to look at his teammates. Shino was trying to stand up, the feelings in his ankle were finally coming back and Shikamaru was lying on the ground, obviously knocked out from Ino's mind-body switch. "You can come out now, Ino! We won!"

"Actually, you all lost." A voice spoke.

It all happened in a split second, but for Naruto, it felt like a few years. He heard a sound behind him and almost immediately he felt a searing pain shoot down his spine into his legs. The blonde genin doubled over as the intense pain spread over his body. So powerful was the pain that the Naruto had to fightt back his gag reflex. And almost as quickly as he hit him, the pain left him until he felt nothing. He tried to move his legs but they seemed to go limp. Naruto's body crumbled to the ground as the numbness began to spread over him. '_Shit! I can't move!_' he thought as his mind raced for answers. '_That means. . ._'

Hinata Hyuga glanced down at Naruto, blushing and with a saddened expression on her face. Beside her was a happy and smug-looking Kiba. Naruto felt himself burn with anger but wasn't able to express it due to him not being able to control his face. He wanted to scream, to shout, to jump up and down hollering bloody murder, but he was stuck facing the winner of their training excise.

"S-Sorry, Naruto-kun." Hinata whispered as she twiddled her fingers absently. "But I had to cut off your Chaka flow for a moment." The dark-haired girl kneeled down beside him. "It'll fix it back shortly."

Naruto couldn't believe it. All that careful planning down the tubes due to a slight underestimation. He and teammates figured that the handicapped team of Kiba and Hinata was less of a threat to them than the team of Choji, Sakura and Shikamaru. Their main plan was to take the team of three out before going after the underpowered duo. Everyone forgot to take into account Hinata's recent training with the Hokage. While she wasn't nearly as aggressive as Sakura, Hinata's abilities to target weak points on a person's body actually surpassed those of her fellow training partner. Her bloodline ability enhanced the training Tsunade gave her. With the combined might of her medical training with her family's Gentle Fist technique, the Hyuga heiress was no longer a pushover in a fight. In some ways, she was actually MORE of a threat than Sakura. The pink-haired ninja preferred to pick apart her opponents, almost as if playing with them. Hinata on the other hand, did not have the same total control over her chakra as Sakura, and when she went for a weak point or a nerve cut, she tended to do more damage in one blow. It was this reason why Naruto and Shino were both out on the ground as helpless as the day they were brought into the world.

"Looks like we are the survivors, Hinata." Kiba said triumphantly. He glanced over to Naruto, his smile growing wider. "You shouldn't have forgotten us, Naruto. You got overconfident and got beaten. Looks like you lose again." Kiba couldn't resist the urge to gloat over Naruto. When they all graduated from the academy, he and Naruto were around the same level. However, after Naruto beat Kiba during the Chuunin exam, Naruto began to excel as a ninja. While Kiba had grown stronger, Naruto had widened the gap between their skills considerably. He very rarely got a chance to beat the blonde ninja at anything, so he was going to milk it for all it was worth.

Suddenly, three puffs of smoke appeared behind Hinata and Kiba. The smoke cleared and there stood Kakashi, Kurenai and Asuma. They surveyed the mass of students around the clearing before turning their attention to Kiba and Hinata.

"Looks like you got Naruto and Shino." Kakashi said offhandedly. "And I see where you tied up Ino before she returned to her body. And seeing as how Naruto's team took out Shikamaru's team, it looks like you guys are the winners."

"Yes! We won! We won!" Kiba celebrated by jumping up and down and shouting. Hinata did not bother to celebrate; she was too busy restoring Naruto's nerve endings and chakra flow. Within moments, Naruto was back to on his feet, his body sore and ego bruised. Kiba continued to march around as everyone started to recover from the training excise.

"Oi, Kiba. We get it already, you won." Naruto grumbled. "You don't have to go around making a big deal out of it."

"Like you wouldn't have done the same thing." Kiba said.

"Well, I admit, getting Hinata to strike us when we weren't' looking was pretty good. However, you didn't do much, did you?"

Kiba's face twisted in anger.

"At least I don't leave my team when they need me."

Hinata and Shikamaru looked up at the two arguing genin and held their breath. Naruto's expression told everyone how pissed he was.

"What did you say?" Naruto said evenly. He took a step towards Kiba, but the boy did not back down from the blonde.

"You heard me, or did your short memory forget the last mission we took together?" Kiba said as he leaned towards Naruto. Naruto's fists were clenched at his sides.

"I didn't leave anyone. . ."

"That's bullshit and you know it! The only reason no one knew about it is because Shikamaru didn't want to get you in trouble-" Kiba's never saw Naruto coming. His head got rocked by a punch that nearly took his head off.

"Bastard! I helped out and pulled my weight! I never leave my friends behind!" Naruto shouted at him. Kiba held his nose, still stunned by the quick attack from Naruto.

"You left Sasuke behind! You had a chance to bring him back and you didn't, so don't give me you're self-righteous speech you spill any chance you get."

No one was prepared for what happened next. No one saw it coming and even if they had, no one save for Kakashi would have been able to stop it. Naruto went for Kiba with such speed that no one actually saw him move. The only thing people could see was Kiba's body being flung up against a tree. The impact caused a thunderous crack that echoed throughout the forest and the tree bent over slightly. Naruto had not simply thrown Kiba against the tree; he had driven his teammate INTO it. The blonde genin was still holding Kiba up against it, his fist driving into Kiba's chest. Naruto began to shake violently, unable to verbalize his rage. The color in Kiba's face drained instantly, turning the boy a ghastly white. His eyes bulged out just before he coughed out a large amount of blood. The rest of the team was frozen at the sight before them, both in fear and awe of Naruto's display of power. Finally, Kakashi acted by yanking Naruto back and releasing Kiba. Naruto landed on his feet and went right after Kiba again. This time, Kakashi held him back.

"Naruto! That's enough!" Kakashi shouted harshly. Naruto continued to struggle against his teacher's grip. His eyes were wide and still alive with anger. Hinata noticed something odd about them, however. '_His eyes,_' she thought. '_They just flashed red for a moment._'

"Let me go! I'll tear him apart!" Naruto growled viciously, never taking his eyes off Kiba. His arms were flinging wildly trying to free himself. Kurenai and Asuma were assisting Kiba. Then everyone heard a slap and looked over to Naruto and Kakashi. Naruto was suddenly clam, standing still and holding the side of his face. His cheek reddened where Kakashi had hit him. He tilted his head towards his teacher, a vacant look in his eyes.

"I'll discuss this with you later, Naruto." Kakashi told him in a very serious tone. It was rare to see Kakashi upset or show any real emotion, and the deadly edge in the copy ninja's voice seemed to send chills down everyone's spine. "This training session is over. Everyone go home and cool off. Naruto, you come with me." Kakashi walked off without a word, Naruto following behind like a child who had just angered his parents and was expecting to be disciplined. The group stood around for a few moments, most of them still taking in what had just transpired. Slowly, they all started to go off in different directions and Kurenai going off to help Kiba home. Hinata was the last to leave, still not sure where to go or what to do. Finally, she wandered off towards the direction that Kakashi and Naruto left in.

***************************************

It was half an hour later when Hinata found Naruto and Kakashi-sensei. She discovered them in a clearing deeper in the forest. It looked like they were discussing something, so Hinata hid herself behind a nearby tree and listened.

"Naruto, I hope you realize the seriousness of your actions." Kakashi said firmly. Naruto was not looking his teacher in the eye as he spoke, only casting his eyes downward with a sullen expression on his face. "I instructed you to hold back during team practice sessions and today you see why. Kiba was seriously injured."

"I understand sensei." Naruto replied softly.

"Naruto, you almost lost it in front of your teammates back there. You weren't even using your fox chakra . . . if you had, you might have killed him." Naruto began to tear up at these words. Hinata could hear him sniffing softly to himself in regret.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi-sensei . . . its just Sasuke, and I-I don't know what came over me."

"I understand his words hurt, but you cannot allow yourself to be controlled by your emotions. On top of all of this, I find out you abandoned your team during a mission?"

"I didn't abandon them! I only left to scout around!"

"Well, something isn't right, Naruto. I can't allow this to go unpunished. You're training with me will be three times as rigorous as it usually is for the next two weeks. During that time, I'm pulling you from active duty for missions."

"But sensei!"

"Enough Naruto! I can't have you out on missions acting like this. I want you to learn from this experience. And you must apologize to Kiba. You might have damaged something more than his body; you might have damaged his trust in you. That will be harder to rebuild than anything else." Kakashi kneeled down so he was eye-to-eye with his student. "You've become very strong recently, much more so than I expected. Your determination amazes me and you've made me proud of you. But you have to let go of this anger. I know you are still upset about Sasuke." Naruto said nothing; he just glanced off to the side for a moment. "Learn to control you're anger because if you don't, it will be your undoing." Naruto's expression turned serious now.

"Yes sensei, I won't let you down."

"I know you won't, Naruto. I believe in you. Now get ready. I want three times as much work from you today." Naruto nodded and took off his orange jacket. Hinata noticed that Naruto was not wearing a shirt underneath his jacket like normal. The blonde boy's body was a lot more defined than she expected. His shouldered looked boarder and arms thicker than any of her teammates. However, it wasn't his muscles that she was paying attention to; it was the scars. They decorated his chest, arms and back, all of various sizes and lengths. '_Why does he have so many scars?_' she wondered as she watched him walk over to a nearby tree. Naruto began punching the tree, causing it to shake violently. "I want 600 punches by the hour, Naruto. Then 600 push ups and sit ups. We will spar after you are done."

'_That's a lot_," Hinata thought to herself. _'Naruto-kun works harder than any of us; he's doing all of this on top of regular training._' She watched him train for the next two hours with Kakashi, the last half hour of it consisting of them sparing in the clearing. During that time, Hinata realized where the scars were coming from; Kakashi's attacks. He was hitting Naruto HARD, but many of the blows did not seem to affect the young genin like she expected them to. Naruto was giving just as much as he was receiving, but he still hit his sensei fewer times than he was getting hit. They both finally stopped when they appeared ready to collapse from exhaustion. Both of them were on one knee, breathing heavily and looking bruised and beaten.

"That's enough for today," Kakashi managed to say between breaths. "You've done well today. I expect just as much effort the next two weeks. Dismissed." Naruto nodded to his instructor and stood up. He did not say anything more; he only grabbed his jacket and headed back towards the village. Hinata silently followed him through the forest until he came out near the academy training grounds. The young girl watched Naruto as he stood in place and looked around.

"Hey, Naruto! You're late!" Someone shouted at him. The blonde genin turned to his left to see Lee waving at him. His teammates, Neji and Ten-Ten were standing nearby. Naruto grinned and made his way over to them.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I got caught up with something." Naruto told them. Lee simply waved it off.

"Don't take so long next time; we were about to start without you." Neji told him sounding grumpy. "You cut in on our training time when you're late."

"Alright, alright. Let's just get started." Naruto waved off Hinata's cousin as he walked away from them. '_What's Naruto-kun up to now?_' the young girl thought as she watched from her hiding place. Naruto faced the three ninjas and grinned. "Don't hold back, I want everything today."

"We know, we know." Lee said as he took a fighting stance towards him. His other teammates followed suit and glanced towards Naruto. They all stood there for a moment facing off until someone made a move. Neji was the first to attack, but his teammates were right behind him. They all charged Naruto quickly, but the blonde boy made no motion to stop them. '_They are going to hurt Naruto-kun!_' Hinata worriedly thought as she watched. Hinata, however, forgot that nothing is as it seems with Naruto.

The blonde placed his fingers together in the familiar jutsu motion before shouting out his technique.

"Taiju Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" Large clouds of smoke filled the area and before they cleared, clones of Naruto sprung out from the smoke and scattered around the area.

"He's cloned himself! Start attacking them until you find the real one!" Neji shouted at his teammates. Ten-Ten pulled out four kunai and flung them at the nearest clones. All of them were on target and instantly they all disappeared as quickly as they appeared. Lee landed nearby and attacked a group of clones using his speed. He made short work of them in no time. Neji activated his bloodline ability and began to scan the various clones to find the real Naruto. "There, by the stump!" Neji's teammates immediately went after the Naruto standing by a tree stump near where Hinata was hiding place. The clones all surrounded Naruto and blocked the groups attack, but the ninja team quickly disposed of them. At last, they surrounded Naruto by himself. All of them went after their prey with a gleam in their eyes. Hinata covered her eyes as they closed the between them and Naruto. Naruto himself did not back down. Everything went silent for a moment, and when Hinata heard nothing she opened one eye and looked. Naruto had actually blocked all their attacks, holding off Neji and Ten-Ten with his arms and Lee with his left foot. Finally, Naruto took in one huge breath and shrugged each of his attackers off when he exhaled.

Hinata was dumbstruck. Naruto's power was unbelievable. He was still going strong despite all his training; first with the group, then with Kakashi sensei and finally with Lee, Neji and Ten-Ten. Hinata was beginning to see why Naruto always wore bandages around his arms all the time now; she noticed right away as Naruto continued to fight with the ninja team that he was only blocking, not attacking. He must be taking a lot of punishment countering all those moves. Suddenly, things were beginning to make sense to her; his newfound speed and strength, how he was able to save all of them during their last mission, how he was able to hurt Kiba so badly with so little effort. Naruto was pushing himself beyond the limits of his body. No one could take on the training regiment that he submitted himself to on a daily basis, yet here he was, doing the impossible. But that was Naruto's way; always taking on the impossible and improbable and never complaining about it. Hinata never thought her respect for Naruto could be anymore than it was, but her opinion of the young boy grew greatly in her eyes. However, there was one aspect of this situation that she did not like.

His eyes.

Throughout all the training she had watched Naruto partake in, he never looked like himself. His expression was too hardened or too hollow, as if he wasn't there while it was happening. She could see it in the way he moved while he fought and sometimes it was present while he was on a mission. She also saw it that night he saved her. Naruto was changing; and not for the better. '_He's losing a part of himself for all of this,_' she pondered as he continued to fight. '_It's the part of him that makes him a good person_.' Hinata's thoughts drifted back to earlier that day when she thought she saw Naruto's eyes flicker from their usual azure blue to a primal red. She thought she had imagined it, but after seeing Naruto like this, she wasn't so sure.

***************************************

Naruto walked along the street towards his house. It had been a long and trying day for him. No matter how much he tried to push it back, the image of himself holding Kiba up against the tree would not leave his thoughts. He couldn't believe he had lost control like that. Even if Kiba's words were hurtful, he shouldn't have attacked him. He was ashamed of himself and knew he had to apologize and set things right. Kiba was more than simply his teammate, he was a good guy and a great ally to have around. Naruto hated to hurt people he liked, especially over nothing.

He knew part of the reason he got so angry was because of the issue with Sasuke. He still missed his friend and hated how things were left. He also still felt a lot of guilt for not bringing him back. Everyone had told him not to worry about it and that he had nothing to be ashamed of, but Kiba's words struck a soft spot for Naruto he didn't know he had. To make things worse, his outburst had disappointed Kakashi-sensei. He knew he would be punished and he would take it, but it wasn't nearly as bad as seeing his teacher look at him with such disappointment. Still, he felt a little better when Kakashi told him he was proud of him. His respect meant a lot to Naruto and he would work his hardest to make sure he would never lose it.

Overall it wasn't a total loss. He had trained well and everything was going alright. He would go see Kiba in the morning and at least try to talk to him. But for now, he needed ramen and rest. He turned the corner towards his apartment building when he saw something that confused him. Hinata Hyuuga was sitting on the steps in front of his apartment holding her arms to herself.

"Hinata, is everything alright? What are you doing here?" he asked the girl. As he walked up to her, he noticed her cheeks were red, something that seemed to be normal at least whenever he spoke to her. '_Strange girl_' He thought offhandedly. Still, he was concerned about her. She was becoming a good friend and an even better ally as a teammate. The dark-haired girl looked up at Naruto with her pale eyes and a very solemn expression.

"N-Naruto, I followed you today. Please don't be mad at me" she said softly. Naruto's eyes widened as he realized she had seen him practice all day with Kakashi and the others.

"Look uh, Hinata."

"You don't have to explain. I thought you were wonderful today." She told him as she stood up. "But you are pushing yourself too hard. I saw you're scars and I know why you bandage your arms and legs."

"That's nothing, Hinata. Just scratches from workouts, nothing to worry about."

"Naruto, you can't fool me, I've got enough training to see what type of damage you are doing to your body." She reached into her pouch and pulled out a small jar of ointment. She held it out to him shyly. "Here, this should help heal some of the scars and relive some of the pain. But you still need some serious rest in order to heal correctly."

Naruto blinked for a moment as he looked at the young girl standing before him. She was more perceptive than he realized. She also must care a lot to follow him around and make sure he was alright. He took the jar from her with a smile.

"Thanks Hinata, that's very thoughtful of you." The girl blushed at his words, and he bowed to her before taking a step up the stairs.

"N-Naruto-kun," she said hesitantly. "I'm worried about you."

"You shouldn't worry yourself, Hinata. I told you that once before." He said carefully.

"No, Naruto. I'm really worried about you. I you are a g-good person and I really admire that." Hinata's face began to turn redder with each word that escaped her lips. '_I can't believe I'm actually saying this._' She thought. "You saved me the last time we were on a mission and you always help out everyone else when they need it. But I've seen something c-change in you Naruto." Tears began to form in her eyes and Naruto's face grew very serious.

"What kind of change?"

"You aren't the same happy person you always are. What made you strong and great is dying, I can see it. It's never been right how everyone treats you, but I think it's starting to take its toll on you. Naruto-kun, I'm scared. I'm scared you are going to lose yourself one day." Hinata dipped her head down trying to hide her eyes that were slowly welling up with tears.

Naruto let Hinata's words sink in. He thought back to how had been acting recently. The young ninja's actions might have been a little out of character, but he never realized anyone had taken notice to him, especially Hinata. She was a great person and the more he thought about it, the more he realized how much she had looked after him. She was always asking him if he was alright or if he needed anything, especially during missions. '_Perhaps I should consider her feelings a bit more if she's taken such an interest in me. I don't want to worry anyone_.' The blonde thought to himself.

"I didn't realize you were so worried about me, Hinata." Naruto scratched his head nervously. "I'm sorry if I've been a bother."

"It's alright Naruto; I tend to worry about a lot of things." She told him. "Just promise me you won't change. I like you-we all like you just the way we are." Hinata tried to cover her words quickly.

"Well then Hinata, I promise I won't change . . . just for you."

"J-just for me?" she said a little stunned.

"Of course, you've been very kind to me and I would hate to upset you. If you like me like the way I am, then why should I change?"

"Naruto-kun . . . thank you." Hinata felt like she could die happily at that moment. It was a small acknowledgement, but for her, it was monumental.

"There is one thing I would like to ask of you, Hinata." Naruto said to her.

"Hmm?"

"Would you help me out with this ointment? You're the medial expert, after all." Hinata's face turned a deep crimson at the suggestion.

"S-sure, Naruto-kun." He gently took her hand and led him up to his apartment. Hinata tried not to shake while as he opened the door to his place. '_I'm going into Naruto-kun's home!_' She thought excitedly.

"It's not much, but its home." He told her as he turned on a light. Naruto took off his jacket and began unwrapping his bandages. Hinata was very nervous now because she was seeing him up close without his jacket on. He seemed to be more defined up close than when she saw him earlier. She could also make out the fresh bruises and scars on his body. She also noticed how swollen his arms were once he took off the bandages. She gasped at the sight of his forearms and immediately had him sit down.

"This is what I mean by not taking care of yourself, Naruto-kun." She said in a very motherly tone. "You have to let things like this heal." She began applying the ointment to the purple, swollen bruises up and down his arms. "I bet you don't even soak them do you?"

"Well, uh, not really." He answered sheepishly.

"I'll prepare some water for you once I'm finished with this ointment."

"Wow Hinata, I could use you around everyday after training." The dark-haired girl got quiet and averted her eyes from his.

"I-I could take a look at your bruises everyday if y-you'd like." She said very softly.

"Would you? Wow! My very own nurse! I'll be better than ever with you helping me out!" he told her. The girl could only giggle at his excitement. He continued to rub the ointment into his skin, occasionally blushing when she began rubbing it over his chest muscles. She unconsciously slowed down as she looked at his well-defined physique. '_I didn't realize Naruto-kun was so handsome._' She thought pleasantly to herself. Most people mistook Hinata's shyness for innocence. The dark haired girl had the same thoughts and feelings as everyone else, she just wasn't nearly so vocal about them.

"Is something wrong, Hinata?" Naruto's question broke her out of her trance. She realized her hands were sitting on top of Naruto's chest, softly gripping them. Her embarrassment was evident on her face.

"Oh no! Nothing, nothing at all." She said quickly. "I'll get you some water now."

"Thanks a lot, Hinata. I'll have to do something to repay you. No one looks out for me like you do."

'_I'll always look out for you, Naruto-kun._' She said to herself silently. '_No matter what, I'll be there for you, because I love you._'


	6. KillSwitch Engage

Threads of Fate Kill-Switch Engage

**Threads of Fate**

**Chapter 6 - Kill-Switch Engage**

The streets near the docks were rowdy and loud during the night. Six new ships had come in and there was a large influx of sailors prowling the bars and bordellos in search of drinks and company. The smell of saltwater blew in from the sea and mingled with the smell of smoke and liquor. Sasuke surveyed the people in the streets and grunted. He hated the atmosphere intensely and was getting more and more impatient being among the crowd.

He and Kabuto were on the latest stop on their journey, the Hidden Village of Rain, looking for information. For months they had traveled from village to village following leads and fighting for their lives to look for an item that Orochimaru ordered them to find. It was known as the Soul Gourd, and while they had no clue as to why Orochimaru wanted it, they had spent a considerable amount of time trying to find it. Most of their leads turned out to be worthless, but somewhere along the line the lies usually led to some part of the truth. They had visited every backwater village, lone alley, tomb and mine between Hidden Rain and Sound, and their travels had brought them to the doorstep of a bar in the heart of the shipping district of the Village.

"Remember; once we meet them let me do all the talking." Kabuto told the younger boy. Sasuke didn't say a word as he walked a few steps behind him. It seemed to help things go smoother when he let Kabuto think he was in charge. The medic-nin was always trying to tell Sasuke what to do and how to do it. It didn't bother him most of the time, but even his patience could only take so much. '_I will be glad to get this over with,_' the young Uchiha boy thought as he observed the people in the streets. '_The sooner I am done working this idiot the better._' Overall, Sasuke did not have a high opinion of Orochimaru's second in command. Because of the part he played in the attack against his former village, Sasuke realized right away that someone like Kabuto could not be trusted. He was too good a liar and too convincing a con man to turn your back on him, his ninja techniques only made him an even more formidable opponent. In Sasuke's eyes, Kabuto was only loyal to himself.

Not that Kabuto was offering an olive branch to Sasuke either. He did not want Sasuke with him, but he had no choice in the matter sense Orochimaru ordered it. It was that reason alone that kept him from slitting Sasuke's throat. Kabuto viewed Sasuke as a threat and a very serious one. He had seen Sasuke's power first when Orochimaru trained him. It worried him that the Uchiha boy was becoming so powerful so fast. A person with too much too fast was a dangerous tool. If they receive something before they are able to handle it, then they could end up turning it against the person who gave it to him. Not to mention Orochimaru praised the young boy too much. Praise led to arrogance; and if the boy became too arrogant, Kabuto felt it would be his duty to take him down a bit . . . or take him out completely. So the two coexisted in an uneasy alliance they soon hoped would be over.

Kabuto opened the door of the establishment near the end of the street and walked in. The pungent smell of tobacco smoke invaded the two ninja's nostrils the instant they stepped into the room. Kabuto scanned the room for who he was looking for, then grinned when he saw a man with a pipe in his hand sitting between to rather large men at a booth in a corner. He nudged Sasuke and nodded in the direction of the booth and the two of them made their way through the crowd. The man in the middle of the group looked at them as they made their way across the room. He was a thin, straggly man with a mangy beard. His clothing was that of a merchant, well-tailored in an attempt to copy the look of a noblemen or a clan boss. His two companions did not look very intelligent, but Sasuke doubted either of them was hired to think.

"Welcome, my friends. You're prompt in you're arrival." The merchant's voice was squeaky and sniveling, more akin to a rodent than a human being. Sasuke thought it matched his appearance perfectly; his too long nose and thin, crooked lips underneath a set of probing, beady eyes.

"Do you have the information we're looking for?" Kabuto asked the man.

"I might have seen it. Do you have my fee?" the squeaky man replied to him. Kabuto pulled out a small pouch and tossed it across the table. The pouch jingled as it landed in front of the merchant.

"There you go, 200 as promised."

"My fee is 600." Kabuto raised his eyebrow.

"We were told 200."

"Then you were misinformed, my friend. 600 or I walk."

"You have to be reasonable, we are not a bank."

"If that is the case, then you'll have to excuse me. Good evening, gentlemen." The two bodyguards made a motion to rise from their sets, but Sasuke raised his hand to stop them.

"Enough games. Your man in the city told us 200. Now you'll take the fee or you won't be able to walk at all." Sasuke told him simply. The merchant narrowed his eyes at the young man and his bodyguards eyed him while clenching their fists.

"You listen to me, you little snot-nosed punk! I won't be intimidated by a couple of useless ninjas! Now get out of the way or I my men will handle you." One of the men made a motion to Sasuke, but the dark-haired boy was ready for him. He grabbed the bodyguard's hand and yanked him forward. The strength of the youth surprised the man as he stumbled forward. Sasuke then landed a quick blow to his throat. The man's eyes bugled as he fell to his knees and reached up to his throat, gasping for breath. With the other man down on the ground, Sasuke turned his attention to the second bodyguard. He gave this one no time to react; a quick jump kick to his head caused the burly man to slam his head against the nearby wall. Kabuto and the merchant could see the man's face as head was disfigured by the impact. The dumbstruck merchant cowered in his seat as the young man approached him. "Keep away from me!" He nearly screamed. Sasuke said nothing as he reached for his arm and yanked him up from his seat. He pulled the thin man in front of him and then kicked the joint below his knee causing the rodent-like merchant to fall to the ground. Sasuke then placed his knee into the back of the man's spine and applied pressure to his arms by pushing them above the man's head. The rat-man hollered in pain as the crackling sound of bones filled the room. By now, most of the patrons had realized what was going on and cleared out of the bar.

"Now I will ask you this only once. If you don't tell me the truth, I _will_ break something . . . starting with your spine." He pushed down on the man's back and forced his arms at a higher angle, causing the man to whimper and his bones to creak as they were further stretched to their limit. "Now tell us where the item is."

"Alright! Alright! It's in the Yazuma Clan's estate on the north side of the village! They keep it hidden within their vault!! Now let me go!" The rat-man shrieked. Kabuto stood off to the side, a little shaken at the sudden ruthlessness in Sasuke. '_I didn't think he had such tough nature. Perhaps I've underestimated him._' Sasuke did not let go of the man, instead, he increased the pressure on his back a bit more.

"You've told me what I want to know, but you also had the guts to cheat and threaten us. I think retribution is in order." Sasuke said silently and without emotion.

"But you said you would let me go if I told you!"

"I never said I would let you go. You must have heard me wrong." With those last words, the Sasuke forced all his power onto the man's back. There was a loud creaking, then finally a horrid crack that signaled the breaking of bones. The man hollered in pain before finally passing out. The dark-haired ninja released he man and watched as he crumpled helplessly to the floor. He turned to his companion before heading towards the door. "We have what we came here for. We should go."

"I didn't say we should go." Kabuto told him. Sasuke quickly looked back at him.

"I'm not staying. Stick around with the cripple if you like." He said emotionlessly as he walked out the door. Kabuto gritted his teeth and headed towards the door. '_He's gotten too big for his own good_.' The medic-nin thought angrily. '_Steps have to be taken_.'

The two ninjas had no trouble getting onto the grounds of the Yazuma estate. The problem itself was finding the vault. They spent over an hour searching the various buildings of the estate without any luck. Finally, Kabuto found a door inside the library. Sasuke was able to pick the lock without any major trouble. Now they were inside the large vault of the Yazuma clan.

"This is too easy," Sasuke said to Kabuto. "There is no way anyone should be able to break into this place so easily."

"We should be thankful. This inane hunt will be over once we find the gourd."

"So that's why you're here." A deep voice echoed off the walls of the vault. Both ninja's turned around to see where the noise was coming from.

"Get down!" Sasuke said as he pushed Kabuto out of the way. A chain shot passed his shoulder to the spot where Kabuto was originally standing. They immediately recovered and placed their backs to each other, eyes scanning the room. The chain that was meant for Kabuto was attached to a metal arrow was sticking into one of the nearby walls. However, the end of the chain seemed to be coming from the darkness in the corner of the room.

"You forfeited your lives the moment you entered my master's house uninvited." The voice spoke again. Sasuke and Kubuto's eyes looked at the dark corner of the room. Something was happening, but they couldn't see exactly. Then Kubuto's eyes grew as he noticed what was going on. '_Someone's actually RISING out of the shadow!_' Indeed, a head slowly rose from the shadow on the floor; not a person stepping out of the shadow, but actually COMING out the shadow. The head was followed by a torso until finally the lean body of a man dressed in black and red rags and a mask that totally covered his face appeared. "I am Hanzaki of the Shadows and you have invaded the vault of my master. Tell me your names so I will know whom I've killed tonight." The man spoke once he was completely free from the shadow. While Kabuto looked on with a little reservation, Sasuke appeared unimpressed.

"You don't need to know our names. Now stand aside and let us pass." The young boy said. Kabuto glanced over at the Uchiha survivor with a bewildered expression. Obviously the boy had lost his mind. Hanzaki found Sasuke humorous, for he began to chuckle with a deep, rolling laugh.

"You are funny. You must want to die first then."

"I have no intention of dying," Sasuke told him. "I only wish so get that gourd so I can stop this innate go home. You are the only thing standing in the way."

"Sasuke, what are you doing!" Kabuto whispered harshly. "Don't provoke him!"

Sasuke was barely listening to his traveling companion. Instead, he continued to look towards the shadow ninja.

"You should be more observant," he whispered back to Kabuto. "Look what's behind him." Kubuto's eyes followed Sasuke's field of vision until he saw what he was looking for. On a shelf behind the behind their opponent was the Demon Gourd! "I'm going to keep him busy," Sasuke explained to him. "You go after the gourd when the time is right." Kabuto nodded to him and as he looked on to the object of their quest.

"You've impressed me, Sasuke. I shouldn't have underestimated you." The medic-nin told him as he smiled. He adjusted his glasses on nose before pulling out a kunai from his pouch.

"Now!" Sasuke said as he rushed towards the darkness-dweller.

"You're foolish if you think a front attack would work." Hanzaki said.

"That's why I'm not attacking you from the front."

Hanzaki's eyes wore the expression of shock when he heard the voice of the young man coming from behind him. He never got a chance to see him because Sasuke rocked him with a punch to the side of the head. He followed it with another punch to the midsection before unleashing a flurry of kicks towards him. Kabuto needed no extra to hint that this was the time to make his move.

"I've got it!" he shouted at Sasuke. The Uchiha boy glanced over at him briefly just before landing a punch that knocked his opponent back a few steps. He was smart enough to stay on him by grabbing him by the shirt and punching him once again.

"Give up, you've lost." Sasuke told the shadow ninja as held his fist over his opponent's face. Hanzaki only looked at Sasuke before laughing.

"You've impressed me, kid." He said between laughs. "I won't feel bad about killing you now." Suddenly, Sasuke felt the man begin to sink. He glanced down at the floor to see the ninja's feet were sinking into a shadow he was standing over. He looked back into the eyes of the shadow walker to see a smug look of superiority. "You're about to see the true power of my abilities." He said as his torso began to sink into the darkness. Sasuke tried to hold him up, but whatever force that allowed the ninja to sink into the black abyss was stronger than his grip. He finally had to let go, and he helplessly watched as Hanzaki's face was enveloped by the shadow. The shadow-walker's bellowing laugh echoed throughout the large room. Kabuto and Sasuke began looking around franticly as they tried to place where the wicked-sounding laugh was coming from. "My jutsu allows me to move through the darkness as I please." Hanzaki's voice echoed. "As long as there is a shadow within these walls, I can move anywhere in this estate. But it also means that I can attack from anywhere as well."

Suddenly it was quiet. The two sound ninja's exchanged confused glances until they heard the sound of metal being unsheathed. Sasuke's bloodline ability activated and he turned towards a shadow behind him, but his reaction was not fast enough. Chains flew out at him from every direction. Kabuto looked on in through wide eyes as he saw the metal ropes surround Sasuke as fast as a group of snakes striking their prey. '_He's using the chains to attack from the shadows_' Kabuto realized as he watched Sasuke helplessly tried to fend off the attack. However, the number of chains proved too numerous and in mere moments, both his arms and legs were tightly bound by the metal links. Once they had him, they began to pull his limbs in different directions. Sasuke groaned in agony as he felt his joints being pulled to their limit. The chains started to lift him upwards until he was suspended a few feet from the ground. As his body rose, Hanzaki emerged from a shadow from the ceiling. He did not stop until he was eye level with Sasuke. In his hands were the ends of the chains that held Sasuke in his prison. His eyes bore into the young ninja's pupils and the shadow-ninja began his deep, bellowing laugh once more.

"You've been caught in my metal web attack," he said wickedly to the dark haired boy. "All I have to do is pull and every one of your joints will tear of their sockets. You'll die slowly as the blood from you body drains out of you, but you'll mostly go into shock before that happens." Sasuke could tell that the shadow ninja was smiling underneath his mask. He glanced over at Kabuto who was still unharmed.

"Kabuto, help me get free from here!" he shouted. However, Kabuto simply smiled up at Sasuke. He placed the gourd in his pouch before giving his traveling companion a small salute, then placed his hands together and began several hand seals.

"Sorry Sasuke-kun," Kabuto said happily. "I have to get this back to Orochimaru. I'll make sure to tell him how bravely you fought to make sure he got what he wanted!" He grinned as he disappeared behind a cloud of smoke and Sasuke could do nothing but watch in anger. '_That bastard! He left me here!_' Hanzaki started laughing once again as he turned his attention to Sasuke.

"It looks like your buddy left you behind." He told him. "Don't worry; you won't go to hell alone. I'll track him down once I'm done playing with you."

"I'll give you one more chance to surrender yourself, no more." Sasuke said calmly. Hanzaki simply laughed again.

"You're giving ME one more chance?"

"I suggest you take it, because once I am free, I will kill you." The shadow ninja laughed once again.

"That is something I would like to see."

"As you wish."

A blast of chakra began to surround the young Uchiha boy. The chakra building up was so powerful that it knocked Hanzaki into a wall with enough force to nearly send him through it. The build-up around Sasuke glowed a demonic purple and violently engulfed him. Sasuke tilted his head back as he felt the power flowed through his body. A slight smile crept across his lips as he welcomed the feeling of the cursed seal. '_Yes!_' A voice inside him began to chant. '_Embrace it! Welcome it! Become power personified!_' By now, Hanzaki had pulled himself free of the rubble from the wall. He glanced up at the young boy and noticed the dark symbols creeping across his skin like black flames spreading across a dry forest. Fear was evident in his eyes as he tried to back away from Sasuke. '_What is this chakra that's coming from him?_' he thought as he tried to move away. '_It is nothing but pure evil. I feel no life from it at all!_' Sasuke flexed his muscles and yanked at his restraints. The chains broke as if he was held by tiny threads and he was free. Hanzaki panicked when he saw Sasuke easily rip himself apart from his binds.

"Stay away from me, devil!" He shouted at Sasuke. The shadow ninja tried to turn and run for the door of the vault, but Sasuke was already on him. Sasuke yanked him back and turned him around so that they were face to face and only centimeters apart.

"Yes, I am a devil and I'm about to send you to hell." Sasuke grabbed his arm and clamped down on it with all his might. Hanzaki screamed in pain as he felt the boy's fingers digging into his arm flesh. Blood started to seep out as the fingers sunk in below the skin and penetrated to the muscle. The Shadow ninja hollered at the sensation of pain that filled him.

"You said you would tear my joints from their sockets, so I thought it would be only fair for you to experience it first hand!" Sasuke's voice said in a sadistic tone. He pulled the arm away from the man's body and the murderous screams drowned out the tearing sound of muscle and flesh. With one mighty tug, Sasuke separated man from limb and blood spouted everywhere around the room. The floor and walls were splattered with the spray of the crimson fluid, some of it getting on Sasuke's face. Hanzaki flailed around wildly on the ground as he howled in pain.

Sasuke looked at the arm in his hand. Never in his life had he done something so brutal, so heartless . . . and he never expected to enjoy it. His heart began race at the sight of the blood dripping from the end of the limb. His eyes grew big and he looked back at the shadow ninja flailing on the floor. Suddenly he heard the voice again. . . this time louder.

' _**DO IT! BECOME A GOD AND TAKE HIS FATE IN YOUR HANDS!**_'

Sasuke reached down and grabbed the hysterical ninja by the head and yanked him up. The now stunned Hanzaki tried to pull away from the young boy's touch, but Sasuke firmly took his head in his hands. He began to apply pressure to the sides of his head and push his hands together. Hanzaki's eyes went wild as he began go scream and groan in agony.

"NOOOOO! DOOONN'T!"

The man's jaw was crushed between Sasuke's hands and blood flew out of every hole of his head. Sasuke never flinched when blood hit him in the face and soaked his clothing. He let the head slide from his grip and the body fell to the ground. He wiped his eye and glanced down at the person who had been Hanzaki of the Shadow. He looked down at his blood-soaked hands. He was in shock, but his face did no show it. '_I've committed the final act of a shinobi._' He pondered. '_There is no limit to hold me back._' The room was silent save for the sound of Sasuke's heavy breathing. The realization of his actions was sank into his mind, and he threw back his head and laughed hysterically.

Sasuke Uchiha had taken a human life.

Kabuto raced through the trees towards the boarder. He was rather pleased with himself. He had the Demon Gourd that Orochimaru desired and he had done very little to get it. He knew his master would be pleased with him. To make thing even more satisfying, he had gotten rid of that arrogant little annoyance Sasuke. There was now nothing to threaten his position as Orochimaru's second in command. 'I _have to admit, Sasuke-kun_' The Sound ninja thought as he zipped from branch to branch. '_You had your uses, but you were becoming a hassle to deal with. If you had just listened to me, none of this would have happened._' Kabuto chuckled slightly. The situation presented itself wonderfully to him and he had to take his chance. The other ninja was too entangled with Sasuke to attack him and there was no way Sasuke could survive. He would have been a fool not to take it; it took care of all his problems. After all, the important thing is that Orochimaru received the gourd. Orochimaru would understand that. Sasuke gave his life as a loyal servant for the village of Sound and Kabuto would make sure he was remembered properly.

Kabuto was so busy thinking about his story to Orochimaru that he did not realize someone was following him. So it was a total shock to him when he felt something hit his chin and whipped him out of the air. He was sent flying into the ground and bounced a few times before coming to a stop in a bush.

"Whoever you are, you are a dead man!" he shouted angrily once he untangled himself and rose to his feet.

"Oh, but wouldn't that make you so happy if it were true?"

The blood in Kubuto's veins ran ice cold at the recognition of the voice. He slowly turned around, hoping that he was imagining things.

"S-Sasuke-kun?" he said hesitantly. He gulped as he came face to face the black-haired boy, noticing that his cursed seal was active. "I'm so glad that you made it back alive-"

Kubuto's words were interrupted by Sasuke's swift kick to his chin. Kabuto fell to the ground dazed from the attack, but Sasuke snatched him up by his shirt. His steely expression frightened Kabuto to the point that he was actually shaking.

"You left me back there to die, you sniveling, treacherous bastard." He said in a murderous low tone. "I should do to you want I did to that ninja back there. However, Orochimaru might have some use for you and I don't feel like killing again right now." He took Kubuto's hand into his own and began to squeeze it. "Understand this. . . .if you every betray me again, death will be that fate that you will _**beg**_ for." A few crackles and Sasuke crushed the ninja's fingers in his hand and Kabuto yelled in pain. Sasuke released him and looked down at him. "Let's see you use your disappearing jutsu now." Sasuke turned his back to him and started to race towards the boarder. Kabuto picked himself up and started along after Sasuke, his glare burning into the back of the young ninja. 'You've _proven to be a bigger annoyance than I thought._' He thought as he held his injured hand.

Sasuke however, wasn't paying attention to the medic-nin; he was reflecting on what had happened in the Yazuma vault. '_There are only one other person I have to kill._' He thought. '_Brother, I'll be coming for you soon then we will see who the strongest Uchiha is._'


	7. Now You Caught My Heart for the Evening

Threads of Fate Now You Caught My Heart For The Evening

**Naruto - Threads of Fate**

**Chapter 7 - Now You Caught my Heart for the Evening. . . .**

"Come on Ino. Hurry up!" Shikamaru called up the stairs as he glanced at his wallet. It was one of the few days off their team had, and he didn't want to waste it waiting on Ino to crimp herself. He, Choji, and Ino decided to spend the day together and eat at a restaurant in town. Now he and Choji were at Ino's place to pick her up, and they had been waiting for nearly twenty minutes.

"I'll only be a moment," Ino hollered back. "It's still early, and we have the whole day, so I don't know why you're in such a hurry."

"Women are so troublesome," Shikamaru grumbled quietly. He glanced over at Choji, who was trying to suppress a few chuckles at Shikamaru's impatience. "She takes longer now than she used to when we were all Genins."

"Just like old times, eh?" Choji said as he nudged Shikamaru in the side.

"Hey! Watch It!" Shikamaru told him as he covered his side with his arm. "You're too strong to do that stuff now."

Indeed, Choji wasn't the same as he was when the rookies were first assigned together as a group. He shocked everyone by asking Gai to take him as an apprentice. Gai-sensei was ecstatic that he had yet another student to follow in his footsteps and happily accepted Choji: but he was in tears when Choji refused to wear one of his patented trademark jumpsuit after ripping one when he tried it on. He began to train with Lee in the arts of Taijutsu and over the last year, and Choji's skills and strength soared. He found he was best suited for grappling holds and power punching, so he mixed several holding maneuvers with his Taijutsu moves. While everyone was impressed with his inventiveness and his growth as a ninja, what truly shocked everyone was the effect his training had on his appearance. He was still big and broad, but the flab he accumulated as a genin started to develop into muscle. Instead of being bulky, Choji was now stocky and solid. Muscles now showed underneath his clothing and his broad shoulders made him look powerful. His face lost the baby fat and gave him a more square-jawed appearance. To go with his new look, Choji cut his hair into a crew-like box. Choji had also grown taller during the past summer and now towered over most of his teammates. All of these changes for Choji had another side effect no one expected: Choji had become popular among the girls of the village. They never seemed to tire of his new feats of strength and appeared to adore his new look. His newfound popularity didn't hurt his confidence, and it was rare he could go somewhere without at least one or two girls following him around.

"I guess I don't know my own strength," Choji told his friend with a slight grin.

"I doubt that's the case, Choji. I've seen you in action," Shikamaru told his brawny teammate. He was actually very happy for his friend and thought he was very deserving of all of the attention. "Growing older has been very good for you."

"I would agree. Choji is a lot stronger and I think he's very handsome. However, another ninja I know has gotten handsome as well."

The two friends turned to look up the stairs at the sound of a feminine voice. Ino stood at the top of the stairs, smiling at them. Their eyes couldn't help but widen as she started to saunter down the steps, her cerulean gaze never leaving Shikamaru.

"I'd say growing older has been good to Ino as well," Choji whispered out of the side of his mouth to Shikamaru. The usually laid back Shikamaru was trying his best to keep his cool as he watched the female beauty. _More trouble headed my way._ He thought grumpily. The young girl had become something of a bother to him as of late. She liked to tease him constantly and she seemed to flaunt herself whenever she was around. Nothing was unusual about Ino being flirtatious or playful; but Shikamaru did not enjoy the fact that he seemed to be her favorite target. Today looked like it would be no different as he could see a devilish sparkle playing inside her pale-blue, crystal eyes. Not that Shikamaru could see them both clearly. Now that her hair had grown back from when she cut it off when she fought Sakura during the Chuunin exam, Ino let her gold locks flow freely. Ino's loose hair now partially draped over the right side of her face.

Shikamaru inspected Ino's face closely. He realized something was different about her, but he wasn't quite sure what it was. He silently gulped when he realized she was wearing cosmetics. _She looks older than 14 with that stuff on her face,_ He thought. The young chuunin's eyes roamed over Ino's body. _When did she get that outfit?_ He wondered while taking in the effect Ino's purple top and skirt had on her curves. The outfit was similar to her usual training attire, yet it was cut differently and showed off a lot more of the female ninja's body. _She looks WAY more mature in that._

"That's a new look for you, Ino," Shikamaru commented noncommittally.

"Oh, you like? It's part of my training," Ino said as she brushed up against him slightly. She grinned wickedly as she locked eyes with the young chuunin, causing Shikamaru to raise a brow. "Kurenai-sensei suggested I get used to wearing make-up and experiment with it."

"What sort of training would you need to learn how to wear make-up?" he asked her with a puzzled expression.

Ino ran her hand through her hair lightly, just barely giving Shikamaru a complete view of her face. She leaned closer to him just slightly before touching his lips with her finger tips.

"Seduction tactics," she said, emphasizing each word with her painted lips. "It's an excellent way to extract information from the enemy . . . among other things." Ino's last words hung in the air, her breath dancing across Shikamaru's skin. The young girl narrowed her eyes at Shikamaru and gave him a playful smile as she lightly grazed a finger across his lips. The finger came to rest on his lower lip for a moment as Ino studied his reaction. The amused expression her face indicated Ino was clearly enjoying the effect she was having on Shikamaru. The hapless young man said nothing and put on his poker face, but the sweat forming on his brow betrayed his thoughts; at the moment his brain was telling him that he was a very flustered young man. Ino finally let him off the hook and slid away from him, walking towards the door. "Ready, boys?" she asked over her shoulder.

Choji let out a low whistle as they followed the girl out of the house.

"I told you - nothing but trouble." Shikamaru whispered to Choji.

"Yeah, but if I were you, I would try to get into as much of that kind of trouble as I could," he replied. The two male ninjas walked up next to Ino, one on each side of her. The young girl cut her eyes towards Shikamaru and gave him a slight wink.

"Just like old times, eh?" she asked him coyly.

"Nothing like old times," he answered her. Truthfully, Shikamaru felt a little uneasy around Ino. In battle, he would trust her with his life, but she had developed a new habit which he found unnerving. She had taken well to her new role as a spy; so well that she seemed to know just a little too much about everyone and everything now. Kurenai had mentioned on more than one occasion that she was more than impressed with Ino's progress, and her praise only seemed to encourage Ino's behavior. Often times Shikamaru would go to brief the team on a mission and Ino already knew the details. What bothered Shikamaru the most was how Ino was integrating her new techniques and skills into her daily life. She loved to toy with him as if she always knew something he didn't. She seemed to get a kick out of teasing Shikamaru and pushing his buttons.

Perhaps what scared him most was that her pushing his buttons excited him.

Ino was already confident and smart before she became a spy. Now the young blonde was positively calm, collected, and cunning at all times. The allure and mystery suited her personality, and it seemed to add a bit of intrigue that touched off something within Shikamaru. While he couldn't help but come to grips with her attractive appearance, he found her presence distracting to him. She did not help matters by being coy with him. Ino's attitude and actions made Shikamaru feel like he couldn't figure her out . . . like he wasn't in control of himself and his emotions.

Control was something Shikamaru had come to appreciate since becoming the field commander of the team. Before he became a Chuunin, he thought the job would be a bother and a chore. He hated worrying about things, and being in charge brought with it the big "r" word: Responsibility. However, he learned he had a knack for leading others. He was an excellent planner, and his main goal was to always bring everyone back from a mission safe and unharmed. He had done so amazingly well over the past two years and had found pride in his accomplishments. However, Shikamaru learned he enjoyed having control but didn't like giving it up too easily. It made him uncomfortable to leave someone else in charge, which was why it had been a bit of an adjustment when Tsunade had placed the team of Neji, Te-Ten, and Lee with the rest of the rookie team. After everyone on the team passed had passed the Chuunin exam, Tsunade felt it would be a good idea to deepen the roster of the team. Because of the size of the unit, the Hokage had given Neji the rank of second-in-command. This allowed the group to run separate missions simultaneously. This wasn't so bad in itself, but it provided an issue for Shikamaru when they trained. Having a second-in-command meant having to confer with someone and trust someone to help lead. For over two years the team has been HIS unit. Now he was forced to worry if the other part of his team would make it through a mission alive. However, things worked out well in the end. It turned out that Neji was a VERY capable leader and was even more dedicated at keeping his team alive than Shikamaru was. Shikamaru rested easier knowing Neji was such a capable and dependable second field commander.

Shikamaru snuck a peek at Ino's face and saw her playful smile dancing across her lips. Her eyes found his and her smile only grew brighter. He quickly turned his head, embarrassed she caught him looking at her. _What is it about this girl that makes me feel so frustrated?_ He thought to himself. _It's like I can't be myself when I'm around her._

"What are you thinking about?" Ino asked Shikamaru as she slipped her arm through the crook of his own.

"Oh, nothing," he replied.

"You can tell me," Ino pleaded.

"I most certainly cannot tell you."

"Then it must be about me."

"Why must it be about you?"

"Because you won't tell me."

"Ever think it might be official business?"

"Like I wouldn't know about any official business," Ino winked as she spoke.

"Troublesome!" Shikamaru cursed under his breath.

***************************

Naruto leaned back against the railing and yawned. _Where is she?_ The blonde ninja wondered as he sent another rock skipping across the river's surface. He had been lounging in the same spot for the past ten minutes. Naruto found it odd that he was waiting for someone; he was usually the one everyone else waited on to arrive. He found it even odder that it was Sakura he was waiting on.

The blonde chuunin tried to think back to the last time he had to wait on Sakura. _She's always complaining that I'm the late one,_ he mentally grumbled. The normally-prompt Sakura was late for their weekly little get-together. Usually in the middle of the week the two friends met up at the old bridge they used when they were Team Seven. Naruto didn't believe it was on purpose they met there; it had just happened one day and they never bothered to change it. It was never a formal thing or officially set in stone, they both just knew to meet up about the same time each week. They didn't do much other than talk; mostly they discussed whatever had happened recently with the team or whatever mission they had been on. However, the little meetings Naruto had with Sakura meant a lot to him, and he believed she felt the same way. There was something about the time he spent with the pink-haired ninja that helped hold him together; something he couldn't quite figure out but made him happy nonetheless.

He stared off into the distance at the setting sun and grinned to himself. It was one of the few times he actually smiled lately. Everyone told him that he didn't smile like he used to, or he didn't play jokes as he had done when he was in the academy. Most people chalked up his mood change to maturity. Naruto allowed people to think this and never said or did anything to make them feel otherwise. The truth was Naruto didn't feel much like smiling anymore.

The truth was Naruto was lonely.

Most of his life, Naruto had been alone. He never knew what actual love was growing up as an orphan; the idea of being alone was nothing new to the young shinobi. Add that to the fact the whole village shunned him because of the Nine-Tails demon sealed inside his body. It was easy to understand why Naruto was used to having no one around. That all changed when he was placed with Team Seven along with Sakura and Sasuke. The three of them traveled together, fought alongside and for each other, and risked their lives together as not just a team, but as friends. Team Seven had provided Naruto with a balance and routine the shinobi had never had in his life before. It was the happiest time in Naruto's life, and he loved every moment as a member of Team Seven. Now those days were gone.

Naruto's thoughts drifted off to the memories of his old squad and the times they shared together. His face ran a gauntlet of emotions as he thought about the good times, the bad times, all the fights he had with Sasuke, and all the times Sakura yelled at him for doing something foolish. His eyes threatened to form tears when the images from the last time he fought Sasuke played in his memory. _Damn that idiot_, Naruto thought to himself. _When I bring that idiot Sasuke back here, I'm going to beat his ass for making Sakura worry about him!_

A slight change in temperature caused Naruto to come out of his trance. He felt a shadow slide over him and block the sunlight. He glanced up to see pink strands of hair falling into Sakura's smiling face.

"I didn't keep you waiting too long, did I?" she asked playfully as she took a seat next to him.

"No more than usual," Naruto told her.

"You're the one who's usually late; you can wait on me for a change," Sakura told him before sticking her tongue out at him.

"I don't mind waiting on you, Sakura-chan."

"I usually don't mind waiting on you either, Naruto-kun." Sakura had recently taken to referring to him as 'Naruto-kun'. She didn't know why and neither one of them ever questioned it.

"What do you mean, USUALLY?" Naruto asked, feigning hurt feelings.

"Well, it's not like I don't have better things to do than to sit here with you," she replied coyly. "But I feel like I could spare a few moments of my time every so often out of the kindness of my heart."

"Humph. Don't do me any favors," Naruto grumbled as he turned away from the pink-haired girl, hiding the smirk on his face.

"Don't be like that, Naruto, you know I love our little talks," Sakura told him soothingly as she placed her hand on his shoulder. She loved to tease Naruto from time to time. It was a little game they played with each other, and Sakura always found it humorous how Naruto would act like he was getting worked up over nothing. "Now quit pouting and tell me why you stopped training with Kakashi-sensei. You said you were doing really well with him teaching you."

Naruto turned back around to face Sakura before he spoke. "I was doing REALLY well under Kakashi," the blonde began. "But he felt that I was progressing faster than he could teach me, so he asked Jiraiya to take over my training."

"Jiraiya? Isn't he the one who trained you before the Chuunin exams?" Sakura asked. While she had seen Jiraiya and heard the Fifth refer to him, she herself had very little contact with him. She always remembered Naruto referred to him as the perverted hermit so she always thought of Jiraiya as some strange man who could be just as puzzling as Naruto and as perverted as Kakashi.

"Yeah. He's gotten really strict on me since he took over as my sensei . . . but not strict enough to stop peeking at women while I'm training," Naruto fumed as he spat out the last part of that statement. "You wouldn't know it by the way he acts, but he's a really powerful ninja. Even managed to teach me a kickass teleportation jutsu too."

"Wow, Naruto, you're getting a lot of training."

"You are getting the same thing from the Hokage," Naruto said. "I watched you during our last mission; you were really something, Sakura-chan."

"Thanks," Sakura blushed. "I just wanted to be useful for a change. Now I feel like I can actually help you and Sasu-"

She covered her mouth before she finished her statement. Naruto looked at her with a venomous grimace before his expression softened into one of remorseful pain. _I just screwed up big time,_ Sakura thought. _I didn't want to hurt Naruto_. Sakura winched inwardly as she saw Naruto's expression. She knew he still felt a lot of regret and guilt for not bringing back Sasuke like he promised. Whenever someone mentioned their former teammate, Naruto would get a hollow look in his eyes and become very sullen. Sakura didn't like seeing her friend so upset so she never mentioned Sasuke around Naruto unless he did. The few times the blonde boy did say something to her about their old friend was usually to reassure her that he had not forgotten his promise.

"Naruto, I'm sorry," Sakura apologized.

"It's ok, I know what you meant."

"No, let me finish," the pink haired girl began. "When it was just the three of us as a team, I always felt like I was never of any help to you two. The stronger you two got the weaker and more useless I became. When you were sent to bring back Sasuke, I felt more helpless than ever because I was left behind. When I came to visit you in the hospital after you returned, I saw how hurt you were. I knew you felt like you let me down, and I never once felt like you did anything wrong. I was always grateful for you for being so strong and willing to try. I never told you this, Naruto, but I was always glad you came back safely."

Sakura's words left Naruto with a bewildered expression. In all the time after he came back to from his fight with Sasuke, no one ever seemed actually HAPPY he was back. "R-Really?" Naruto stammered.

"Yes, really. I didn't realize it until a little while later, but I was so happy you weren't seriously injured. I even felt a little guilty about you being hurt because I know how seriously you take your promises. Remember what I told you the first time you found me training in front of the Memorial Stone a little over a year ago?"

"Yeah."

"I meant what I said about helping you bring Sasuke back, and not just because of how I feel about him, but because I want to help you out. You've become a big part of my life now and I can't imagine it without you. I also couldn't stand being left behind again when you are out risking you're life. If something was to happen to you, I wouldn't know what to do with myself."

Sakura's voice was close to breaking by the time she finished. She lowered her head as tears blurred her vision. However, she felt Naruto's fingers on her chin. He gently tilted her head up so she couldn't look away from him. The young man pushed a few strands of hair from Sakura's face and then wiped a tear from her wet cheek. Sakura didn't resist Naruto's gaze, and she felt his navy blue orbs pierce her own jade eyes.

"Sakura-chan, please don't cry," Naruto whispered. "You were never weak and I never thought you were. You have always been a big part of the team and you are an even greater part of our new one. You're also a bigger help to me than anything else. You've helped keep me grounded when I felt like I was going crazy."

"Why do you say that?" Sakura sniffed.

"Because without your friendship, I wouldn't be strong enough to keep going after I lost. Sasuke's leaving the village took someone away from me. It took away OUR team. I didn't have much to begin with, but our team was the one thing I could always count on and look forward to. Sasuke took that away when he left, and I wanted it back. That's the only reason I trained so hard. I wanted to beat him so I could make him realize what he gave up and at the same time took away. But it hurts, Sakura-chan. It hurts because I know even if I find Sasuke and defeat him things won't ever be the same. It hurts because more than likely I'll have to fight my best friend one day. It hurts knowing that the next time I see Sasuke, he will no longer be my best friend." Naruto stopped for a moment, his face full of remorse. "When you came to visit me in the hospital that day, I seriously thought about running away from the village because I felt like I failed you. I was so determined to make it up to you - to everyone. I felt I had to change in order to become stronger. I felt I had to be more like Sasuke in order to defeat him. That's why I asked Kakashi to train me."

Sakura stopped crying as she listened to her Naruto's explanation. She looked at her friend as she thought about how his behavior over the past year. All the times he would get moody when he trained with their team or how he seemed so withdrawn during missions, how it only seemed like he listened to Kakashi-sensei; it all made more sense to her. "Is that why you've drifted away from the rest of the team?" she asked him.

"Mainly," Naruto replied. "I want everyone to know that I have the power to protect them if things get tough during a mission. They still think I'm unreliable though. Don't get me wrong; they treat me better than they used to, much better, but it's not like how you and Hinata acknowledge me. You two are the only reason I don't go crazy around here, and knowing you were glad I returned from that mission means more to me that you would ever know, Sakura-chan."

The pink-haired girl gave her friend a warm smile. _He doesn't know how great he is,_ she thought fondly. _I wish I had seen it sooner. Maybe I could… no. _ Sakura reached up around her friend's neck and hugged him tightly.

"You aren't alone, Naruto-kun," Sakura whispered softly in his ear. "As long as I'm around you'll never be alone."

Naruto fought the urge to run and hide from this feeling Sakura's words and actions gave him. It had taken him quite a while to just get used to her nice to him on a regular basis. _Why am I so afraid if this feels so . . . good?_ he wondered as he returned her hesitantly returned her embrace.

"Sakura-chan . . . thanks." Naruto whispered to her.

"No, thank you, Naruto-kun, for being such a good friend."

Sakura slid away from the embrace and scooted closer to Naruto. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. The flight-or-fight alarm in Naruto's mind went off, but he ignored it and he sat there in silence. He contemplated whether or not he should use this time to tactfully slip off, but he felt Sakura's warm hand slide over his own before he could make a move to leave.

"Just stay with me a little while longer," she said breathlessly as if reading his mind. "I don't want you to leave yet."

Naruto smiled without looking at her as they both watched as the last of the sun's light fading over the horizon.

"If you say so," he replied.

*********************************

The full moon illuminated the tiny alley leading to Naruto's apartment. The bright light reflected off Hinata's dusty black hair, giving her head a slight glow to match that of her ghostly pale eyes. She had grown her dark hair out well below her shoulders at Sakura and Ino's insistence, and now her silky mane surrounded her head and curled inwards at the ends. The two girls told her it made her look more mature, which was reason enough for the shy girl to consider keeping the style. But the real reason Hinata kept her hair at its current length was because of Naruto. It had even taken her a whole hour to fix up before making the daily trek to his apartment.

"Alright!" the boy blonde shinobi exclaimed as he scooped Hinata up by the waist and hugged her. Hinata could only blush as her teammate spun her around in his embrace before putting her back on solid ground. "Tell you what, I'll finish cleaning up and set the table while you cook."

"S-sounds good," the Hyuuga heiress told him while turning away to hide her flushed cheeks.

Naruto scurried around the apartment and picked up the mess on the floor. As he cleaned, he happily chanted his ramen mantra. Hinata could only smile at her friend's obvious joy. She didn't mind cooking for him at all and was going to offer to do it anyway. Hinata usually offered to cook, this time he just beat her to it. However, it made her feel good that he enjoyed her cooking, and it made her even happier that he didn't want her to leave. She treasured the time she spent alone with Naruto because he always seemed happy when he was around her. _I wonder if he's this way with anyone else,_ Hinata pondered as she fired up the stove and stirred the contents of the wok. _He always seems so happy when I'm around._ A twinge of selfishness crept into her mind at the idea of Naruto acting happy just around her. Of course she wanted her friend to be happy all the time, but the idea that only SHE made him happy was a pleasant thought even she couldn't resist.

Over the last two years, Naruto and Hinata had grown very close. The blonde shinobi was very protective of her during missions, and she in turn seemed to fight fiercely whenever he was nearby. Naruto loved Hinata's natural thoughtful and sincere personality and had come to think of her very highly of the young medic-nin. She had grown very fond of the blonde boy and spent a lot of her free time around him. Hinata had even gotten enough courage to invite him to her fourteenth birthday party at the Hyuuga estate.

The age of fourteen was big deal for the Hyuuga family. It was considered the age where you took on more family responsibilities, especially if you were the family heir. Hinata's progress as a kunoichi impressed her father so much that he no longer praised her younger sister over his eldest daughter. He even went to great lengths to make sure Hinata's party had been a grand event. The whole family attended the party, and all of her teammates showed up dressed in their best attire. It was a shock to her father when Naruto showed up at the front gate of the estate dressed in a traditional red Chinese silk shirt and black pants with his normally unkempt hair combed down and neatly in place. Hinata brought him in and introduced him to her father, who reservedly shook the blonde boy's hand. Hinata remembered being proud of the way Naruto stood his ground when he met her father and did not appear to be intimidated by him. Most people went overboard in trying to appear humble around her father, but Naruto was very cordial and polite without looking like he was trying to impress him. She saw a look of respect in her father's eyes as she watched them talk to each other.

"Ramen time!" Naruto exclaimed as he finished placing the dishes on the table. His outburst shook Hinata out of her daze. She turned around from her cooking to see a smiling Naruto sitting in front of a plate looking up at her with hopefully eyes. She couldn't help but laugh at his actions.

"Ok, ok, just a minute," she told him as she served him.

"This smells great, Hina-chan!" Naruto eagerly rubbed his hands together before digging into the bowl of Ramen in front of him. Hinata grinned as she watched her friend eat happily. "Thanks a lot, you're the best!" the young boy managed to mumble with a mouth full of food.

"I'm glad you like it so much," she said warmly. "As long as it makes you happy."

"You always make me happy, Hina-chan," he replied. "I don't know what I'd do without you around."

Hinata's face warmed as she felt her cheeks redden.

"I try to do my best." The young girl's words were barely a whisper. "That's what I learned from you: to always do my best no matter what."

"I can see that when you fight," he told her. "You've grown a lot, Hinata-chan."

"Thank you, Naruto-kun."

When the meal was finished, the two friends moved over to the couch and continued their conversation. Naruto was telling Hinata about his last mission when she noticed how Naruto's attitude seemed to change. Gone was the happy-go-lucky Naruto she was so fond of, and in his place was the colder, more reserved Naruto she saw whenever they were with the rest of their team. To Hinata, it seemed like there were two people sharing the same body.

"Naruto-kun," she interrupted. "Are you happy?"

The young boy paused to think about her statement. He quirked a brow as he pondered his answer. "Happy?" he mumbled softly.

"I mean, are you happy with everything in your life as it's going now?"

"Well, I never really thought about it, Hinata-chan," Naruto's voice trailed off as he struggled for the words. "I mean, I like the fact that I'm getting stronger and I like our team, but I guess something feels . . . out of place sometimes."

"What feels out of place?" Hinata nervously chewed on end of her finger as she tried to read her friend's body language.

"Well, I guess I just feel like something is missing and I still don't know what it is," He mused. "I mean, I like that Sakura-chan and I can hang out together, and I love that you and I are so close." The blonde seemed to perk up at the end of his statement. His sapphire eyes flashed as he looked up at her with a grin. "In fact, you are one of my precious people."

"Precious people?"

"Yeah, my precious people mean the world to me," he explained with a serious look in his eyes. "I would protect them with my life, no matter what."

"Y-you really think that way about me?" Hinata eyes softened at his words.

"Of course. Hina-chan, you've always believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself. You have never treated me badly, even back when we were in the academy together. Plus you look after me and accept me for who I am. I'll always treasure that about you, that and you make great ramen." Naruto put his hand behind his head and showed her his trademark grin and she instantly laughed. "In fact, I would say I'm happiest when I'm around you."

Her heart threatened to jump of her chest, and for the first time in her life, she felt like she could admit her feelings to him. However, she kept her silence as her rational thought won out over her impulse, but she still gave him a hug. Partly it was a thank you, but it was mostly to release some of her pent up affection for the boy. _He just doesn't know what he does to me,_ she thought.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun," she said tenderly. "I think that is the nicest thing anyone has every said to me."

"You make it easy to be nice to you, Hina-chan."

The young girl regretfully broke her embrace and got up to clean up the dishes. She turned on the water and let the dishes soak and then glanced back over at Naruto. "I'm really honored you think so highly of me, Naruto-kun. You mean a lot to me as well . . . You just don't know just how much you really mean to me," Hinata fumbled over her words as she thought of what to say next. "I sometimes feel like I can't be without you. . . . ."

She was interrupted by the sound of a snoring ninja laid out on the couch. Hinata sighed, but smiled all the same. _Let him sleep I guess. I'll have to wait to tell him how I feel another time,_ she thought. The dark-haired girl quickly finished with the dishes, then crept up to Naruto's room. _I'll just get him a blanket,_ she told herself. She slowly pushed open the door at the end of the tiny hallway and found herself inside the love her of her life's room. She shook her head at the items haphazardly thrown around the room: weapons tossed on the floor, clothing on the bed, and even a few empty cups from ramen were sitting on the dresser. She grabbed a blanket from underneath the pile of clothes on the bed and was about to leave out when something caught her eye. There were two pictures on Naruto's night stand: one of him with his old teammates when they were genin; and the other was of her and Naruto taken at her birthday party. _I didn't know he had this_; she thought as she picked up the photo and examined it. She remembered the white kimono with the floral pattern she wore that day. She noticed she had a slight smile on her face as she stood next to Naruto, the blonde shinobi looking very serious in his formal clothes. Hinata thought he looked handsome and noble. It made her feel good he kept the picture after all this time.

Hinata slipped back out the room and made her way to the sleeping Naruto. The blonde was snoring loudly and looked rather odd as one of his legs was hanging off the couch and one arm over his head. She placed the blanket over him and beamed. _He looks so peaceful . . . and totally silly,_ she thought. As she stood there and look down at him, a wicked idea crept in her mind. _Should I do it?_ She wondered. _No, that would be wrong. . . . Oh, well it won't hurt if I do this at least._ Hinata hesitantly leaned down and looked at him closely. She glanced at his head for a moment before finally gathering up enough courage, then took the plunge and placed a very soft and tender kiss on Naruto's cheek. The dark haired girl didn't move for a moment, and when she was satisfied that he didn't wake up, she quietly slipped off towards the door and let herself out.

"Goodnight, Naruto-kun," she whispered sweetly before opening the door. "I love you, always."


	8. Calm Before the Storm

Threads of Fate Calm Before The Storm

**Naruto - Threads of Fate**

**Chapter 8 - Calm before the Storm**

Sasuke felt at home hidden by the darkness of the night sky. It was his sanctuary, his escape, his place of rest. It had no light, no windows, and no candles in his room and he often spent hours on end sitting in the quiet darkness of his dwelling. Even in Konoha, the Uchiha heir would sometime leave the village at night and slip off into the nearby forest to find the darkest corner among the trees and sit there. The shadows of the thick woods welcomed him in their embrace, and Sasuke found the cold arms of the darkness a more preferable place than the palace Orochimaru built for himself. This night was no different for Sasuke as he decided to go to his favorite spot and meditate after his seemingly endless hours of training. He sat with his legs crossed and his hands before him in the traditional meditating position, his mind all around him and far away at the same time. However, his attention at the moment was on an intruder who invaded his place of peace.

"Why do you follow me, Karin?" Sasuke growled without opening his eyes. "Show yourself before I become angry."

To his left, a figure stepped from behind a tree hesitantly. The person did not dare step closer out of both fear and awe "I am sorry, Lord Sasuke," a tiny voice squeaked from a distance. "I only wished to see where you go when you leave the palace at night."

"Did you not think I would notice you?"

The young girl stepped further away from her hiding place and passed over a spot where the light shone through the branches of the thicket. The moonlight revealed the demure face of a young girl framed with raven colored shoulder-length hair. She wore a long sleeved, robe-like dress that seemed to fit her loosely. The garment was made of a fine violet silk, which matched her large, alluring eyes. A Sound Village forehead protector was wrapped around her tiny waist like a belt and appeared to be the only thing keeping her dress closed. When she came within three feet of Sasuke, she knelt down and bowed her head. "Forgive me, Lord Sasuke. My intentions and actions were not to insult your skills," The pixie-girl explained.

"Why do you intrude upon my silence?" he questioned. "Did Kabuto send you?"

"No, my Lord, I came of my own accord," she managed to say. "I only wished to observe you."

"State your business so that I my return to my solitude."

"M-my Lord," she began. "I have seen your power firsthand and I wish to be your apprentice."

"Why do you ask this of me?"

"Because I want power."

"You are already one of Orochimaru's elite guards; surely you can ask him for what you desire."

"That is not all, Lord Sasuke. . . I wish to be by your side. If you will take me as your apprentice, I pledge my loyalty, my obedience…" She stopped for a moment and pulled her forehead protector from her waist. The loose dress fell open and she allowed it to fall completely from her shoulders and gather in her hands. ". . . and my body."

Sasuke stepped closer to the young girl and eyed her practically naked form. She searched his eyes, but they did not tell her weather he approved of her or not. She gasped slightly when he forcefully pulled her close by the waist. Karin felt Sasuke's intense gaze bore into her soul through her own eyes, and all at once she felt helpless in her position. _Perhaps he really will take me,_ she thought as he leaned in closer to her face. She closed her eyes and parted her lips, leaning in just slightly and awaiting the inevitable.

"You are not worthy of my affection nor my love," he whispered icily. Ami's eyes opened to the wicked smile of the Uchiha boy. He released her and turned his back to her, indicating his was done with her.

"But lord Sasuke, I swear I will be faithful -" she begged.

"Another girl told me the same thing years ago. I actually cared about her and I STILL left her where she was. What chance do you think you have any chance of fulfilling my desires?"

The young girl's cheeks became flushed with embarrassment when she felt the sting of his words. She let her eyes drift towards the ground and pulled her dress closed. "I understand. Forgive me, my Lord," she croaked weakly. As she made to leave she felt a hand grab her shoulder, and gasped as she looked back into his glowing red eyes.

"You are not worthy of my attention or my love, but at least you can be of some use to me." He said as he pulled her down.

_Foolish girl_. He thought to himself. _I'll suck every bit of usefulness out of you and then, I will simply dispose of you._

Long after she was gone his thoughts drifted to memories of his former teammate. She had opened her heart to him, and she offered love above and beyond what was normal for the chance to keep him at her side.

"I'm different than you guys," he remembered telling Sakura that night they stood on the path and she pleaded with him to stay. "I follow a different path than you guys. I can't be like you or Naruto."

"Aren't you going to be lonely by yourself?" she cried. "I love you more than anything! If you are by my side, I will make sure you will not regret it!" Her pleas were frantic at this point and wrenching at Sasuke's gut with each desperate word. "I beg you! Please stay here! I'll even help you get your revenge! There must be something I can do!"

After all of her shouting, all of her begging and tears, the young Uchiha turned around to and said: "Even after all this, you're still annoying." Even after all of that, he couldn't get her to hate him. She still chased him and tried to force Sasuke to stay. Now another girl had decided to give herself wholly to him.

_Hmph, what fools_ he thought bitterly.

He knew he was tainted the moment he walked in on his brother standing over the dead bodies of his parents. And he _would _kill Itachi, and anyone else that stood in his way.

As memories of the pink-haired girl and the blond idiot played through his mind, he felt the familiar burning of the cursed seal flow over his body. Sasuke clutched his head and howled in agony as he tried to fight off the feeling of the seal which brought him power.

"No! I can have my memories, damnit! I am allowed a past!" he screamed into the air as he held his head. However, he heard The Voice respond to his words. He knew The Voice all too well. He heard it whenever he had to train, whenever he injured an opponent, whenever he tried to think about anything that made him happy. It was part of the curse that gave him power over his enemies. However, The Voice seemed to grow stronger the more he used the seal. It seemed to have a distinct personality, and it only fed off his progress as a shinobi. Lately The Voice had grown stronger.

"Your memories make you weak," The Voice echoed within his mind. "I can take that weakness away."

"I give myself to you when I fight, nothing else!!" he growled at the soulless words inside his head.

"She is your weak link," the voice persuaded. "All of them are. GIVE UP YOUR PAST SO WE CAN ACHIVE OUR GOAL!" The Voice raged.

Sasuke fell to his knees and screamed. "NO!"

"Oh you will give yourself over to me," the sinister inner part of Sasuke stated. "You've come too far to try to set boundaries on me." The burning began to spread and intensify, making him feel dizzy. Pain traveled through his body, and all he wanted to do was make it stop. His body told him to surrender, but his mind would not allow it. He fought its spread with everything he had. _No, I won't. . . lose myself,_ Sasuke mentally chanted. _I am an avenger, but I am still Sasuke Uchiha; I will not lose my sanity to you. I will . . . kill._ His eyes flashed open, the Sharingan now active. Sasuke stood up from the ground with a slight smile on his lips.

"I am Sasuke Uchiha. I will kill my brother as vengeance for his betrayal," he told himself as his lips curled into a very ominous smile. "I will see his blood spilled and I will enjoy it."

***********************

The heavy double doors of Orochimaru's throne room were blown off their hinges from the explosion. They shattered into splintered pieces and started to disintegrate, scattering the remaining debris across the marble floor. The dust from the explosion rose into a thick, heavy, blackish cloud. Orochimaru sat at his throne, unaffected by the intrusion and destruction of the entrance to the room that was the symbol of his power. _He is ready,_ the snake-man thought delightfully. The dust began to clear and the shinobi ruler saw Sasuke standing at the entrance with two bodies that had once been Orochimaru's guards lying on either side of him. The raven-haired boy marched slowly into the room, his eyes completely hidden by the thick hair falling in his face.

"I want to know where he is," Sasuke demanded.

"And who are you talking about?" Orochimaru asked with mock ignorance.

"My brother. Where is he? I know you know where he is because I know you keep track of his organization. Now tell me where he is!" Sasuke's eyes flashed underneath his mop of midnight hair. The Sharingan markings were visible as they were illuminated by a demonic red glow.

Kabuto, who was standing nearby Orochimaru, glared at Sasuke. He pointed a finger at the young Uchiha boy menacingly. "How dare you, Sasuke! First you destroy the entrance to the throne room then barge in here making demands of Orochimaru! You have gone too far—"Kabuto gulped as he suddenly found a kunai pressed into his neck.

"Apologize you worm, or you'll have to find another way to breathe, and I doubt even your regeneration abilities could save you." Kabuto glanced back and saw Karin body half out of the shadows, eyes that portrayed that she would most diffidently follow up on her threat without a second thought.

"This does not concern you, Karin," Sasuke stated calmly. "Kabuto drag your sorry corpse out of here and stay out of my business. This is between me and Orochimaru only."

Orochimaru continued to smile as he motioned for Sasuke to move forward. "Now, now, there is no need for tempers," the Sound Lord said to soothe the situation. "Sasuke only wished to make his point that he is clearly ready to seek out his brother for the revenge he desires. And I see he has found some _help._" The snake-shinobi appraised Sasuke slowly. His eyes held a devious glint of approval as he nodded his head at the young boy. "Yes, yes, you are most certainly ready to take on your brother."

"Then tell me where he is!"

"Patience, patience," Orochimaru told him. "Though you are right; I do keep track of my former organization's movements. So you should be happy to know that your brother was recently sent to the Fire Country. If I were you, I would start looking there for Itachi."

**************

"Hokage-sama."

"Yes, what is it?" Tsunade answered without turning around to towards the voice coming from the shadow.

"I have found out the Akatsuki is on the move once again."

Tsunade felt a deep pain in the pit her stomach at the sound of that name. _Please tell me they are not after him again._

"Do you know what they are after?" she asked the voice.

"I do not know, but I do know one of their members is headed to our village."

"You've done well, Ino," Tsunade said. "Tell no one of what you have learned. You are dismissed."

"Hai," she responded, and like that, the girl standing in the shadows as gone.

Tsunade walked over towards the balcony of her office overlooking the village. The darkness over Hidden Leaf made it appear peaceful and serene. However, she knew those days were about to end. _Something has to be done, but I don't wish to make a rash decision._ _I have to do what's in the best interest of the village_. She sighed to herself, not liking what had to be done. _Please let me be right, I would do anything to protect that child._ She thought about how he had grown over time. _No, he's not a child anymore. None of them are children. They will be some of the best Hidden Leaf has ever produced, and he will be the one to lead them._


	9. Come Back to Me

Threads of Fate Come Back To Me. . .

**Naruto: Threads of Fate**

**Chapter 9 - Come Back To Me . . .**

"You're lucky you have the Nine-Tails chakra or you would not be able to do that technique," Jiraiya commented. "How did you come by that jutsu?"

Naruto was breathing heavily, sweat drenching his clothing and pouring off his face. In front of him were smoking tree stumps and craters of scorched earth. "Kakashi taught me a few new techniques; it was just a matter of combining them with what I already knew. I figured if I spun all the chakra together at the same time, the effect would be more devastating."

The Frog Hermit nodded his head as he listened to the boy's explanation. _He's come up with a devastating combination and he can do it multiple times. Not even the fourth would have been able to achieve such a powerful technique. Kakashi has done a good job with him,_ he thought. _Now that he's got his, new rasengan, Kage Bunshin, and the Flying Thunder God jutsu, I feel sorry for anyone that tries to piss him off. _ "You've done enough for the day, Naruto. We should head back to the village. I have more research to do."

"Research my ass!!" Naruto shouted while pointed in accusing finger at Jirayia. "You just want to go peeking again!"

"Don't pout. I always put business before pleasure. I've taken care of business and trained you today, so now I want my pleasure!" Jirayia told the young shinobi. He rubbed his hands together as a devious gleam formed in his eye.

"Enough jokes, Old Pervert! I need to train!"

"Go find some of your friends to help you!"

"If I don't become stronger it's going to be your fault!"

The two of them glared at each other, their stances equally aggressive. They were about to continue their shouting match, but were interrupted by a black cloud of smoke. Jirayia and Naruto turned their attention to the Hidden Leaf ninja who appeared next to them. He appeared to be a Chuunin, his face partially covered by a mask.

"I have a message from the Hokage for Naruto Uzumaki," the shinobi told them. "She wishes to meet with you immediately."

*********************************

"You wanted to see me, Old Lady?" Naruto asked as he walked into Tsunade's office. A vein in the woman's forehead began to form and she clenched her fists, a clear indication that she was angry.

"Naruto! You'll refer to me with proper respect!" she snapped as she slammed her fists down onto the desk, rattling everything inside the spacious office. Even Naruto felt his balance waver. "I won't tolerate insubordination, even from you!"

"Ok, ok. Geez, don't bite my head off," Naruto protested.

The Hokage composed herself before continuing. "Naruto, I called you because the village is faced with a serious matter and it involves you."

"Me?"

"Yes, Naruto," she started as she took as seat. _How do I say this?_ she wondered as she looked at the blue-eyed shinobi. She could see the questioning way he looked at her and it made her feel even worse than when she summoned him to her office. _Might as well get straight to the point,_ she decided. "I've learned recently that the Akatsuki are once again on the move. I'm sure you remember your run in with them once before."

Naruto frowned slightly and averted his glance from the Hokage's. "Yeah, I remember." he grumbled.

"Our spies have discovered one of their members is moving within our country and possibly headed towards our village. I believe they are once again after you."

"So you want me and the rest of our team to look for this person?" he asked her.

"No, Naruto, I called you here to tell you that I'm sending you into hiding."

"What?!"

"I don't want to force you, Naruto, but it's for your own good," she said as she saw the anger form in his eyes. "Believe me, I don't want to do it, but I also have to protect you and this village. Once we find this person, I will send for you. It won't be for long."

"So someone is coming for me and you want me to go run and hide with my tail between my legs?" the blonde boy almost shouted fiercely. "To hell with that! I'll kick whoever's ass it is if they come here looking to hurt me or anyone in this village!"

"Naruto! Don't argue with me!" Tsunade barked at the young chuunin. "I have to do what's in the best interest of this village, and if that means you have to go and hide then you _will_ do so!"

Naruto wanted to yell back at her. He gritted his teeth as he felt heat rising through his body. He wanted to shout, scream, cry out and perhaps destroy a few things in the process, but he knew better. The boy knew Tsunade would knock him senseless if he tried to throw a tantrum. While that was a good enough reason to keep him from doing something foolish, the real reason he didn't say anything was that he could see the hurt in her eyes. Behind that scowl on the Hokage's face, Naruto could see the pain she was going through. _I know she doesn't want to do it, but it hurts me too,_ the young man thought as he stared her down.

"So are you protecting the village from me?" Naruto asked sullenly.

"Of course not!" Tsunade said quickly. "I'm trying to protect the village from someone who doesn't care about who he has to hurt to get to you. I'm also trying to protect you from people who would harm you," her voice softened as she spoke to him. "Naruto, I knew you wouldn't want to run. It's not in your nature to run from any challenge or anyone who threatens what or who you care for. But this is one time you have to listen. Put your feelings aside and do what's right for everyone. That's what a Hokage has to do."

Naruto's fists were shaking at his sides. _Damnit, I hate having to run!_ he wanted to shout. _But the Old Lady is right; leaving will protect everyone. That's what I want to do, isn't it? This isn't fair! I can protect myself. . . I can protect EVERYONE!_

His cerulean eyes were moist with tears that threatened to fall. He knew what was right, but it was killing him to do so. _Why does this have to be so damned hard?_ "Ok, if it means protecting everyone, I'll do it," he said finally.

Tsunade smiled tenderly at him as she walked around her desk towards the boy. "Thank you for understanding, Naruto,"

"It's ok; you would have kicked my ass anyways."

"Damn right," she said with a grin. "Now listen; you will be sent to the village of Hidden Sand. I have arranged it so they will house you and keep you protected. YOU have to keep a low profile and wait."

Naruto crossed his arms and frowned slightly. "I don't like this idea of sitting around and waiting while everyone else gets to fight," he complained.

"No lip from you," she told him flatly. "You'll do as you're told and wait until I send word for you."

"Ok, Ok . . . geez, so hard on me all the time."

"I have to be if you expect to take my place one day."

Naruto's jaw went slack as he heard Tsunade's last statement. "Eh?" he half-mumbled at her. The female Hokage only winked at him and continued to grin. He couldn't help but return the smile.

"You shouldn't get too comfortable, you're only keeping the position warm for me," he told her in a haughty tone. Tsunade only rolled her eyes at his comment.

"I'm going to send a few of your teammates to escort you to the border," Tsunade's mood suddenly became serious as she spoke to him. "Your team can't know the real reason why I'm sending you away so I'll have Kakashi tell them you've been sent off on a joint mission between Hidden Lead and Hidden Sand. I've already arranged for a guide to meet you at the border and take you the rest of the way.

"Ok, but I don't feel comfortable with lying to my teammates," Naruto told her.

"Would you rather tell them the truth about you?"

"No," Naruto replied. "At least not yet."

"Well, then we have no other alternative. You leave tonight and should make it to the border by morning."

"You can count on me!" He flashed his best grin and gave her a thumbs-up.

"I know I can," she told him. She bent down slightly and wrapped her arms around him, embracing him. "Good Luck, Naruto."

"Nothing's going to happen," he reassured her. "I still have to keep my promise to someone special to me and fulfill my dream."

*********************************

"Huh?" Sakura gave Naruto a perplexed expression. "You're leaving on a mission? With whom?"

"I can't talk about it," Naruto answered cryptically as he stuffed clothing into a backpack. He had run into Sakura on the way to his apartment, and he explained to her that he was leaving. "The Hokage said it's really top secret. I might be gone for a while."

"It's not like I'm not going to know who's left from our team," she explained to him. "I'll know right once we have training tomorrow."

"I'm going alone."

"Alone?"

"Yeah. Someone's going to escort me, but after that, I'm on my own. The Hokage will explain it to you all later." Naruto did his best to put his friend off, but he could tell from the way she talked to him that it was not working.

"Naruto, what's going on?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?!" Sakura couldn't keep the hurt tone out of her voice.

"Look, Sakura, it's a big deal. . . I'll explain it to you one day, but I can't talk about it right now. Please, just trust me on this," Naruto strapped up his bag after throwing in a spare set of ninja tools. He could see Sakura's mind turning as she processed the information he gave her and tried to figure out what he wasn't telling her. _I know she'll figure something thing out, h_e thought as he slung the bag over his shoulder. _Just as long as she doesn't know about the Nine-Tails._

"I don't like this one bit, Naruto," the pink-haired ninja told him plainly. She had her hands on her hips in defiance as she looked at him. "You're supposed to be my friend; you have to be able to trust me."

"I do trust you . . . but it's not my place to tell you right now," Naruto explained.

"You aren't going after Sasuke without me are-"

"Sakura-chan, lay off me, please! I said I would tell you when I get back." Naruto looked at his friend pleadingly. _Please don't make me lie to you_, he hoped. He could see the questioning look on her face as she examined him.

"The moment you get back home you come straight to me and tell me what's going on," she finally said, wagging a finger in his face.

"You'll be the first person I come to see when I get back."

"I still don't like it," she told her friend. "I have a bad feeling about whatever it is you are about to do. Just make sure you come back safely."

Naruto gave his friend a sincere smile. He didn't like worrying her, but he couldn't help but find it cute. "I'm going to be fine," he reassured her. "Nothing's going to go wrong. It's just a mission. I'll go, take care of business, and be back before you know it."

Sakura smiled warmly before wrapping her arms around his neck. "Promise that you'll come back to me," she whispered in his ear.

"I promise I'll come back," Naruto told her. "Now I have to get going."

Sakura didn't want to release her grip from her friend. _Something is wrong, I just know it, s_he thought. _I can't lose another person close to me, especially Naruto. _ She loosened her grip and slid back from Naruto, but not before giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"For luck," Sakura smiled weakly. "Now get going."


	10. A Nostalgic Feeling

Threads of Fate A Nostalgic Feeling

**Chapter 10 – A Nostalgic Feeling**

Sasuke was taking a huge risk standing out in the open but shrugged it off immediately. Some old memory, some nostalgic feeling compelled him seek out this old monument to the beginning of his life as a shinobi. He stared at the three poles stuck in the ground as the memories of his first day with Team Seven played within his mind. The image of Naruto sitting tied to the middle pole while the Uchiha clan member and Sakura ate lunch seemed so real to him that he thought he was watching as it was happening. _How far have I come from that day?_ The young ninja wondered as he took a final look at the landmark.

"Time to go to work," he said to himself. In an instant he had vanished, headed through the thicket that concealed Konoha Village from the rest of the world. _Even the trees seem familiar._ Sasuke thought. It wasn't long before he had a view of the village in his sites and all at once the memories of a past life flooded his thoughts. _Konoha… my home_.

A strange peace washed over the Uchiha heir as he made his way over the walls that surrounded the Hidden Leaf Village and protected it from the rest of the world. Even though he stuck to the back streets and the shadows as he made he journey, he still felt like he was home. After over two years living with Orochimaru in his underground palace Sasuke still felt like he belonged to the place where he was born. He passed the shopping district and heard the crowds of people still bustling about as they looked for the best deals. Shopkeepers stood outside doors of their businesses trying to convince people into viewing their wares. Sasuke heard the yelling of the stand owners as they shouted their daily specials to the passing customers. The familiar aromas of various restaurants invaded his nostrils. The shinobi quickly recognized many of the signs hanging above the food stands and for one brief moment, he wanted to let his guard down. However, he pushed his warm thoughts of comfort to the back of his mind. "I didn't come here to stroll down memory lane," He muttered to himself as he approached his destination. The dark-haired boy stopped on a roof overlooking his target and smiled to himself. _Time to visit an old friend_. He thought as he looked upon the home of Naruto Uzumaki. _I don't know what you wanted with Naruto, Itachi, but I know you still want whatever it is. I suppose I'll have to be in place when you come to get it._

It didn't take Sasuke long to pick the lock of the window. He quietly slid into the bedroom and slid up against the wall. A quick scan of the room told him no one was in the bed, so he crept towards the door of the room. The young Uchiha boy almost grinned to himself as he walked around. _This is the first time I've ever visited Naruto's home. Too bad it couldn't be under better circumstances_. Sasuke shook his head. _I'm sure kidnapping won't make me look too good in the eyes of the Hokage._

"N-Naruto? Are you back already?"

Sasuke snapped his head around at the sound of a sleepy, feminine voice coming from the other room. He sucked in his breath before he gasped out as he recognized the voice. _What's SHE doing here?_ The ex-Konoha shinobi thought as he slid his body underneath the bed. Silently he waited from his vantage point and watched the door to the room. Light crept into the room from underneath the door, telling Sasuke someone had turned on a light on the other side. The door opened slightly and revealed the silhouette of a female figure. Before the figure turned on the bedroom light Sasuke already knew who it was.

"That's funny. . . I could have sworn I heard someone. . ." Sakura mumbled as she looked around the room in confusion. The young girl stood in the doorway seemingly unaware of the pair of red eyes watching her.

_She looks more mature._ Sasuke thought as he apprised her. This girl standing before him was transitioning into womanhood; she was nothing like the one he remembered. Sure, the obvious similarities were there; the pink hair, the emerald eyes and even a more mature version of the outfit she wore when they were children. But Sasuke saw maturity and experience behind those eyes. Her posture was more assured and confident. His old teammate was never this self-assured. His eyes poured ever inch of her and as he ginned to himself_. It looks like I'm not the only one who's come a long way._

After a few moments of standing in the doorway, a confused Sakura shrugged and turned off the light before walking back to the front of the apartment. Sasuke silently counted his breaths for what seemed like hours before he made his move. Without disturbing the shadows around him, the Uchiha boy slid from underneath the bed. He hadn't gotten his body fully upright when he sensed movement in the room. His reflexes reacted with time to spare as he blocked three kunai flying towards him from the side. Sasuke however barely had time to dodge a kick aimed towards his head. He quickly exchanged blows with his assailant, both he and his opponent succeeding in nothing but blocking each other. He instantly realized that his mystery attacker was highly skilled. He had even more respect for his opponent when he felt his legs being swept from underneath him as he tried to flip out of range and regroup. He felt the weight of a body on top of him and the cool metal of a blade at his neck before he hit the ground.

"You must think me a very poor ninja to walk away without thoroughly checking the room," Sakura said as she sat on top of her unknown captive. "However, here's a hint for the next time; never leave the window open behind you when you come in."

"You always were too dammed observant for your own good." Sasuke responded. Sakura felt her breath leave her lungs as her instantly recognized the voice_. It can't be!_ Her mind told her. _I must be loosing it._ With a quick flick of her wrists, she sent another kunai flying towards the light switch on the wall and she found herself face to face with the former third member of Team Seven. "Hello, Sakura." Sasuke greeted her. His words were calm and relaxed, as if she didn't have a kunai at his throat.

For a fraction of a second, her eyes betrayed her and she looked at him with disbelief and surprise. She has spent almost three years preparing for the moment that she would come face to face with the young boy who had taken her heart. Never did she expect that day to come like now.

"Sasuke . . . You're back." She managed after recovering from her shock. His eyes watched her carefully and she tried to hide the growing fear inside her. Sakura had faced life and death situations alongside her comrades. Little bothered her anymore. But in front of the Uchida, she was still that scared little academy girl who followed him around.

"I'm not here for a social visit. I'm here for Naruto."

"What do you want with Naruto?" Sakura asked in a threatening tone.

"I don't want to hurt him, but I doubt he will come along quietly," Sasuke answered. "I only need him to find my brother. Somehow, I figure I will have to fight the dobe to do that."

"What does Naruto have to do with your brother?"

"Frankly, I don't really know and I honestly don't care. All I know is that my brother is looking for him and needs him for his organization." Sakura's eyes narrowed as she contemplated his words.

"So you're using Naruto as bait. . ."

"You always were sharp. I did miss that about you." Sakura stiffened slightly at that last statement. "Now are you going to tell me where Naruto is so I can be on my way?"

"If I knew where he was, I would most likely be helping him."

"And I'm sure you wouldn't tell me even if you did know."

The young girl nodded.

"You realize I can't allow you to leave here."

"Is that because of duty or desire?"

"You can be a real bastard sometimes." Sakura's voice nearly cracked and Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her sudden outburst. _I guess some things do change_. He thought.

"The old Sakura would never have put me in my place, I'm impressed." He told her.

"You've been gone a long time, something things had to change."

"This doesn't have to be this way, Sakura-san."

"I don't see how it can be any other way." Sakura's voice was horse as she spoke the last few words to him. Tears threatened to steam from her eyes as she knew what was about to happen. "Please don't make me do this." She begged.

"I told you years ago I have to go my own way." He reached up slowly to her face and caught a lone tear that managed to escape her eye. She did not resist his touch nor move to block him. "I have to do things just as you have to."

"I still love you. . ."

"I know you do."

His first strike was blocked; an open palm swipe aimed at her temple. It was quick, but he didn't expect to hit her. Sakura's eyes never broke their lock from his own, even as she attempted to trust a kunai into his throat. Sasuke blocked it with a blade of his own while at the same time managing roll her body off of him and himself on top of her. Their movements were nearly a blur, but there was no mistaking the ferocity of each blow. Sakura managed to kick him off her and was on her feet almost instantly. Sasuke was surprised at the speed she possessed. He barely had time to recover before she was upon him. Their blades screamed as they clashed and crossed each other. And while Sakura was using everything in her power to advance against the Sharingan user, she could tell in his demeanor and his movements that he wasn't using his full strength. He should see how his eyes never changed expression, how there was never any sense of urgency behind them. So she wasn't surprised when she took a swipe at him and he suddenly wasn't in front of her.

"Checkmate." Sakura heard as she felt his breath breeze her ear. It was the last thing she heard before she felt a blow on the back of her heard.

"No! Not again. . . _Naruto." _was all she managed to say before the darkness overtook her.

"You've grown, Sakura." He said out loud as he look down on her un-moving form. His finger found itself tracing the side of her face, passing over her eyelids and finally her lips. He felt her shallow breath and the warmth of her skin. The Uchiha hesitated as he bent over her body, his eyes shifting to the sides as he expected someone to be listening to him.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" The Voice asked him calmly. Sasuke's eyes widened at the words then clutched his head as the throbbing started again with a thunderous thud. The quiet of the room was broken by his deafening scream. "There is no time for this. . ." The Voice reminded him. "You have work to do." Sasuke violently beat his head against the floor, trying to drown out the pain and The Voice's words the seemed to echo throughout his entire mind.

"Leave me alone!" he shouted defiantly.

"I can't leave you alone . . . because I'm you." The Voice replied. "I'm apart of every aspect of you. That's why you can't hide yourself from me. How do you hide from yourself?" The familiar feeling of darkness and pain enveloped his entire psyche. "Embrace this side of you . . . the avenger. You have only one purpose, one true desire. Let nothing keep you from it." His Sharingan activated itself and once again the Cursed Seal crept over his skin like black tendrils until they merged themselves and changed his skin to a drab gray color. The screams stopped and were replaced by a maniacal chuckle.

"Naruto . . . we have unfinished business." Sasuke said. With unholy speed he was gone from the room, only leaving the unconscious body of Sakura behind. He was an avenger, a tool. The nighttime embraced him as he flew from rooftop to rooftop in search of his goal_. I will find you, Naruto! And when I do, I will settle my things between you and me. Then I'm coming for you, Itachi!_


	11. Should I Die Before I Wake Part 1

Threads of Fate If I Should Die Before I Wake: Part One

**Chapter 11**

**If I Should Die Before I Wake: Part One**

"Naruto, Slow down. We are already head of schedule."

The young boy grimaced as he was told to slow his pace. Naruto didn't want to be ahead of schedule. Naruto wanted to be there NOW. He glanced back at his teammate and commander, Neji.

"The sooner we get there, the sooner I can get back to Konoha." Naruto told him. Neji grimaced as he looked at the young Uzumaki boy a few yards ahead of him. He didn't know why, but Naruto had been unreasonable from the moment they left the village gates. His constant grumbling and complaining didn't do much for the Hyuuga boy's mood_. I'll be glad to get this over with._ Neji thought_. I don't know what the Hokage wants, but far be it for me to question those who are my superiors_.

They were traveling along the edge of the grasslands, the last major area before they reached the dessert. It was the longest stretch of geography they had to cross before reaching the Wind Country boarder. Being so close to the boarder, it was rather windy and one looking at the tall grass plain flowing like a green sea as the breeze blew over it.

Instead of crossing over the open area, they were traveling through the trees that bordered the grassy plain. It would take them a few hours longer than it usually would, but them less of a target to any possible ambush. Despite the delay, they were still moving at an excellent speed. The sun was setting ahead of them and they hand made it three fourths of the way across. Neji decided to push ahead overnight so they would reach the Wind Country boarder before morning. Form there it was half a day's journey to the Hidden Village of Sand

Neji was thankful that he had competent help with him. Lee brought up the rear of the group, only a few yards behind himself. Almost next to Naruto was Neji's cousin, Hinata. Both were capable (Hinata far more capable then he expected when he first found he was to be working with her.) and proven shinobi. Even Naruto was dependable . . . when he wasn't being annoying and loud.

"Perhaps you should slow down; some of us don't have the stamina you have, Naruto-kun." Hinata told him. He glanced over to her before sighing and slowing down his pace.

"I'm sorry Hina-chan," he told the young girl. "But I just want to get this over with as quick as possible."

"Whatever this mission is, it must be important it the Hokage is sending you off alone."

Naruto mumbled to himself and avoided making eye contact with Hinata_. If you call running and hiding important, then yeah._ He thought.

Neji watched the interaction between his cousin and Naruto and almost allowed himself to smile. It was obvious to him that his cousin harbored feelings for the young blonde. He could tell Naruto held Hinata in high regard just by his calm demeanor whenever he addressed her. He could see how the blonde ninja took greater care in what he said whenever her spoke to her. However, he wasn't completely sure of the Uzumaki boy's true feelings towards Hinata. Not that it was any of his concern. He tended to stray away from such nonsense. He only hoped that it would not hinder the mission at hand. The young Byakugan user thought back to the words the Hokage spoke to him after she briefed the group on the mission. The Fifth made the mission seem simple, but he could tell by the look in her eyes that something worried her and almost expected something to happen. It was even more evident after she asked him to stay behind for a moment.

"Listen, Neji-san," The Fifth told him when they were alone. "I don't care what it takes; you have to make sure Naruto makes it to the Sand alive and in once piece."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." He assured her.

"I mean it. It is vitally important. . . . to all of us here in the village." Neji knew that whatever the Hokage was worried about was entrusted to the young blonde boy. But not matter the circumstances he was going to deliver Naruto to the Sand. For one thing, Naruto was a teammate. Even if he was acting like an ass right now, his status as a fellow teammate and Leaf ninja was enough for Neji to take things seriously. Neji did not let anything happen to those under his command.

While he was the lone Jounin of the group, he still answered to Shikamaru and did so without hesitation. Shikamaru was an outstanding leader and better strategist then himself. But Neji took his duty seriously. Those who were entrusted to his command were not simply soldiers; they were comrades. Everyone had a purpose; everyone was part of the team. He respected that and respected them because they were willing to lay down their lives for the good of the mission and the village. That is why he tried to make sure everyone came back from each mission alive. He also fought to make sure every mission was executed in the most efficient way possible. Making sure everything was done right and everyone came home was, as Naruto would often put it, his "ninja way."

"It shouldn't be much longer until we cross the grasslands," Lee said, which woke Neji from this thoughts. "Then it's only a little ways to the boarder."

"We can't get there fast enough for me." Naruto replied. _At least I get to see Gaara again. Perhaps we can train together._ Fox vessel thought. He thought back to the last time they two saw each other. Both boys were drained of chakra and exhausted from the battle that literally changed the geography of an entire area of land. It would be nice to see his fellow vessel on much friendlier terms.

"Naruto! Watch Out!" Lee Shouted. His warning caused Naruto stop just in time before he was enveloped by a colossal column of flame that blasted up from the ground below. The updraft nearly blew him back into his teammates. Neji cursed at not seeing the trap before hand. _I knew something was going to happen._ He thought as he flung himself to the head of the group. The rest of his team took defensive positions in a circle. The fire had scarred the trees nearby them and some flames still burned on several branches. _So someone has been watching us, eh? Well let's see where they are._

"Byakugan!" Neji activated the bloodline ability. Hinata followed suit behind her cousin and began to scan the area surrounding the team.

Hinata, do you see anything?" Neji asked.

"Nothing. . . wait, what's that over there?"

All heads turned in the direction that she was pointing. They all saw movement in one of the larger shadows nearby. A few moments of watching and they all saw the outline of what appeared to be a person. They all tried to strain to get a better few of who it was.

No," Naruto whispered to himself. "S-Sasuke? It's not him. . . ." The long, dark hair was the first thing he noticed. _Can it be? After all this time? No, wait. . . something's wrong._ Upon closer inspection Naruto realized his mistake. However, by this time, all of them recognized their attacker.

"Uchiha. ."

". . . Itachi" Neji finished Lee's words as he stared at the S-rank Criminal. The group leader steeled himself and prepared for the inevitable. Any shinobi who regularly checked the bingo book knew who this missing-nin was, and those same shinobi knew to fear the power he possessed.

"I'm here for one thing and one thing only." Itachi said flatly. His eyes, already red from the activation of the Sharingan, quickly inspected the group of Konoha ninja. They held nothing but indifference for them, completely dismissing them as a threat. "I want the Uzumaki boy. The rest of you can leave; I see no reason in unnecessary killing. But I will eliminate you if you so wish it." His stance looked extremely relaxed, almost like he was out for Sunday stroll instead of being prepared for battle. The tell-tale symbol of the Akatsuki, the black robe with red markings, flowed with the wind coming off the nearby plain. The elder Uchida had an ominous air that flowed around him and everyone in the group felt his presence and power.

"I recognize you," Naruto said to him. "Your Sasuke's brother. You're the one who murdered your clan."

"He's also the second highest ranked criminal in Konoha's history." Lee stated.

"You're the one who caused Sasuke so much pain!" Naruto pointed an accusing finger towards the Akatsuki member.

"I freed my brother from the clutches of mediocrity," he stated. "I freed him from the fate of being a tool for the greater good of the Uchiha clan. I gave him a purpose and a goal. If he's the ninja I think he will be, he may one day come close to achieving it."

"You don't know shit!" Naruto spat at Itachi. "You're nothing but a murder and a coward!"

"So it's true what I heard about your brash and confrontational behavior." The former Leaf ninja said. "Regardless, I need you for our plans."

"I don't know what you want with Naruto, but if you were once a Konoha ninja, you realize I cannot leave my comrade behind."

"Please spare me the Konoha noble duty bullshit. No one is truly that pure."

"Unlike you, I have not lost faith in our village." Neji told him. He glanced over to Naruto, was had positioned himself in front of Hinata. "Hinata, you escort Naruto ahead. Lee and I will handle our guest."

"But Neji-ni--"

"Hinata, do not disobey a direct order!" Neji cut off his cousin's protest. He noticed Naruto's tense demeanor and decided to head off any ideas the young blonde might have. "Naruto, don't think of staying behind. You have your orders from the Hokage. Now go, both of you!"

Hinata and Naruto took off quickly towards the grassland. Itachi was surprised when his path was blocked by a quick thinking Rock Lee.

"Please understand, we cannot allow you to pursue our friends," the taijutsu specialist told him. "You will face us now."

"You all have forfeited your lives to accomplish nothing." Lee's eyes were filled with shock as he heard the voice of the s-rank criminal behind him even though he was still standing in front of him. He was smart enough to dodge and move from his position just in time to notice the figure of Itachi had disappeared. As he avoided the attack, Lee realized has just moved just in time to avoid his throat from being slit. _He's faster than anyone I've ever faced!_ As Lee landed on another nearby branch, something told him to keep moving. His instincts proved to be correct, for not a moment after he launched himself away towards another branch, the pervious one was destroyed by some unseen force. He finally regrouped next to Neji, landing in fighting stance facing the direction of Itachi.

"His movements are too fast to keep up with," Lee said. "I can't even attempt to go on the offensive against his skills"

"Your right," Neji told him. We have to treat him like we are facing Sasuke." Lee grinned slightly as he reached into his back pack and pulled out what appeared to be a piece of black cloth. Neji would always wonder how his teammate and friend would find so much happiness in battle. The Hyuuga fighter respected the fighting, but Lee absolutely LOVED it. Neji already knew why his teammate was so happy about this particular situation; it was a chance to test his skills against a Sharingan user.

It had become obvious to the majority of the team why the Hokage grouped them together. They knew it was coming, and they prepared themselves daily for it. The combined teams of the Rookie nine and Guy's former squad were the ones who were going to be sent to retrieve Uchiha Sasuke. No one discussed it. None of their teachers acknowledged it, but they all just knew. But all the clues were there. The fact that everyone involved had more contact with the Uchiha heir than anyone else in the village. They were all trained extensively against genjutsu techniques and illusionary tactics. The Hokage had also made it clear that the retrieval of the Uchiha heir was a priority for a number of reasons. He was the last of a great clan from the village. He was wanted and prized by Orochimaru as a tool and played primary into his plans against Hidden Leaf. Getting Sasuke back meant destroying much of Orochimaru's plans. But bringing him back meant they would have to fight him. So everyone trained for it and prepared for the time when they knew they would have to battle him. It readied them for more than just a fight to bring him back; it prepared them for the possibility that they have to kill him in order to protect his clan's secrets.

All of which led up to this point, this battle with Sasuke's older brother. They had trained to deal with a Sharingan user, and there was none other stronger than Uchiha Itachi. Knowing the type of person that Lee was, Neji knew the taijutsu specialist would love nothing more than to put his skills against the best Sharingan user alive. He was taught by the best on how to handle the bloodline ability, and his fighting style made him the best choice for the job. Neji could see the smile forming on Lee's face as he took the cloth and placed it over his eyes. Once fixed in place, Lee adopted his upright fighting stance.

"Now I am ready." He announced.

"I am not," Neji told him. He began a series of hand seals and Itachi looked at his hands with interest. As he completed the jutsu seals, he thought back to the day he learned them from his uncle. . . .

****************************

"You already know that the Uchiha's bloodline derives from our own," Hiashi told his nephew. "When they separated from us, there was a bloody feud. It caused quite a problem for the village and both sides lost many lives. Eventually it all ended with a stalemate and both clans conceded to peace. However, it was during that feud that we learned ways to defend ourselves against their techniques. It was really quite simple; they had once been apart of us, so it easy to figure out their strengths and weakness. We have natural defenses against them and they are the reasons they were never able to adopt the Gentle Fist style. We have passed down these defenses in secret to defend our heritage. Some were lost over time as they were not needed, but there is one technique that was developed especially for use against their mind games. And now, because of your unique situation, I will now show it to you. . . ."

***************************

"Mind Veil!" the Hyuuga shouted once he completed the hand seals. His eyes flashed as if he activated his Byakugan technique, but this time he felt a surge of charka flow through his veins. While he had no true way of testing this ability, he felt a change in his eyes. Something about the way he was seeing the world was different than anything he had experienced. "Now I am ready." He said as he settled into his Gentle Fist stance.

Lee was the first to strike. He went at Itachi with his Whirlwind Kick, a move the Uchiha dodged easily. Lee sensed where he moved and continued his assault. Itachi was a bit perplexed as to how a blindfolded man would be able to sense his moves so well, but it was nothing he could not handle. Soon Neji joined the fray, using his strikes to go for a weak point_. Realistically, we don't have a chance against this man._ He thought as he went for a chakra point near the leg. _But we have to keep him here as long as possible so that Naruto and Hinata can get away._

The two Konoha ninja's gave everything they had to keeping the S-class criminal on his toes. While it didn't appear that they were gaining any ground against him, they were doing something that was important; keeping his hands busy. Busy hands meant few possibilities for jutsu. They were both well read on Itachi's profile and knew he specialized in techniques that did not require seals. Anything with a seal would be more than bad news for them.

"This is pointless," Itachi said after some time exchanging blows with them. "I will to end this now."

As Neji was moving, he felt something holding him back. He looked down to see that his left leg was being held by what appeared to be Itachi coming out of the wood. His eyes widened in astonishment. _When did he have time to do that?_ He turned quickly towards who he thought was Itachi and couldn't tell which one was which. However, because he was being held in place by what appeared to be a clone, Neji wasn't able to dodge a kick to his sternum. The impact sent him flying backwards and he ended up crashing on a few branches before landing on a large one. His head was throbbing with as he untangled his body.

"Damn that bastard hits hard." He groaned while holding his head. Neji turned as he heard something crash nearby. Lee had landed face first into the side of a tree.

"All you do is delay the inevitable." Itachi shouted at them. "All your effort will not keep me from my goal."

"You shouldn't be so impatient," Neji said managed as he spat blood. "We are just getting started. Isn't that right, Lee?"

"Of course," Lee was busy brushing himself off and wiping the blood from his own mouth. Both shinobi were bruised and tired, but nothing they couldn't handle.

"Besides, we forgot to let someone else have a turn."

"What do you do. . ." Itachi never finished the sentence. An explosion rocked him from his perch and sent him spiraling in the air. Neji and Lee smiled as they saw the missing-nin caught off guard.

"It's about time, Ten-Ten." Neji shouted. He didn't expect her answer him, as it would give away her position. Despite the surprise of the attack, Itachi gracefully landed on his feet. He stuck himself on the side of a tree using chakra, but he had to quickly vacate his spot as a hail of kunai rained down upon him.

"So, you had someone follow behind out of the way," the Uchiha man said. "Clever. You've bought few more moments to your friends but led another person to their death." Itachi bounded around from spot to spot, avoiding the various projectiles flung his way. He quickly scanned the surrounding area, trying to find a consistent path of the weapons. Finally his eyes flickered with realization. "There you are!" he shouted as he tossed a single shuriken towards a group a leaves. The sound of a woman groaning was heard and a figure came bursting out the brush. Ten-Ten landed nearby her two teammates, clutching the side of her left arm. Her teeth gritted at the pain, and blood trickled down the side of her arm.

"Are you alright Ten-Ten?" Lee asked. The weapon's master shook him off. She never understood how he was able to know exactly what was going on while he was blindfolded, but she was glad he did.

"He just grazed me. Nothing serious," she answered. "Hurts like hell, though." She managed to grit out a smile, her eyes never leaving Itachi. In her bloody hand was an archery bow with various symbols painted on it's surface. She reached behind herself with her free hand and pulled an arrow from the quiver on her back and reloaded the bow.

"Ten-Ten, whatever you do, don't look him directly in the eyes. He's a Sharingan user." Lee reminded her.

"I know, I was watching."

"Then why didn't you help us?"

"I was waiting for a clear shot."

"I would have trusted your aim."

"I'll keep that in mind next time you are standing between me and my shot." she told him playfully. She smiled as she took aim at their opponent. She didn't have look directly at him, she just _knew_ where he was. Her aim was uncanny to the point that it was a sixth sense. It was also helpful in the fact that she didn't have to directly look at him to aim at him.

"If you all wish to die, then I will indulge your wish." Itachi said simply as he pulled out another kunai and charged the Leaf Shinobi. They all scattered.

Ten-Ten released a rain of arrows upon him while she was airborne, but he quickly avoided them with little trouble. The young girl cursed at the failed attack. She was already reloading when she saw a green blur heading towards the missing-nin. She quickly made out a red-faced Lee who was burning with charka flow. Obviously he was using the Lotus technique. Konoha's Green Beast was staying on top of Itachi with staggering speed. The surprised S-class shinobi was impressed at the tenacious way the young man was attacking him. Clearly these children were better than he realized. Neji was running interference for Lee, attacking with his Gentle Fist and nearly landing a few blows. Between the three of them, they were actually causing the ninja criminal to go on the defensive. _We might be able to win this after all_. He hoped.

"Enough of this." Itachi said finally. He jumped to clear his three attackers, just high enough in the air to execute a number of hand seals. "Katon: Fire Dragon Flame no Jutsu!" His voice echoed throughout the forest. An explosion of flame landed near the three Leaf nin and sent them spiraling in different directions. Lee, quickly scrambled to his feet, yet instantly felt himself being slammed against the surface of the tree. His blindfold spared him the vision of seeing a palm slam directly into his nose. The impact of the strike was so powerful it nearly sent him through the tree itself. He was instantly knocked unconscious, never feeling himself fall crumpled to the ground far below.

Ten-Ten never had time to completely recover from the fire attack, as she was picked up from her landing place. She opened her eyes and found herself staring into the eyes of Uchiha Sasuke. His eyes began to spin and shift. "Tsukiyomi." Was the last thing she heard before she screamed from the technique's mental assault. The young girl passed out from the pain a second later.

Neji woke up, his vision blurred. He saw a figure walking towards him as he picked himself up. He had landed on the ground. The Hyuuga knew his shoulder was dislocated by the large amount of pain it caused him. He fought to push himself up in a sitting position, steadied his arm against the ground then shifted it quickly to reset his shoulder back into place. The dark-haired boy winched at the pain, but never cried out. By now, his vision had cleared enough for him to make out the figure of Itachi standing in front of him.

"You've lost." The Elder Uchiha brother told him. "I'll give you one last chance to save your own life." Neji ignored his comments and simply stood up. He staggered slightly to one side before finally falling into his Gentle Fist stance. His breathing was labored, he had bruises everywhere and cuts were bleeding all over his body.

"Here is my answer," his stance suddenly shifted and he paused. "Hand of the Eight Divinations: Three Hundred and Sixty-One Palms."


	12. Should I Die Before I Wake Part 2

Threads Of Fate If I Should Die Before I Wake: Part Two

**If I Should Die Before I Wake: Part 2**

"Hinata! We should go back! They need our help!"

"Naruto-kun, Neji gave us an order. We should follow it and complete our mission."

"To hell with that! They need our help back there!"

"I don't think it would be good to do that, Naruto-kun. Neji and the others are holding off that criminal in order to get you to your destination. We would be making their efforts pointless if we didn't follow our part of the plan."

Naruto grumbled loudly. He knew she was right, but he didn't have to like it.

"I know, I know. You are right as usual Hina-chan."

She smiled at his use of her nickname, a signal that he was claming down. They had taken a shortcut across the grasslands and crossed the boarder an hour ago with Naruto hollering and screaming the entire time. He wanted to go back and help his teammates. Truthfully, Hinata wanted to go back and help as well, but she knew that the important thing was getting Naruto to the Sand. They were shinobi after all and the mission was above all else. She also had faith in her cousin, Lee and Ten-Ten. As a three-man team they had been very strong. She had done various missions with each of them and found them to be very capable shinobi. Also her cousin had recently ascended to the rank of Jounin. She had trained him once he announced to the clan that he intended to take the exam, so Hinata knew first hand how powerful Neji was and trusted his abilities and judgment. If he said they were able to handle things, then she would take his word for face value.

Hinata looked across the dunes as they flew by them. The dessert had greeted them well after nightfall and it appeared to them an endless sea of brown. The wind had picked up right after they reached the boarder and it was hitting with full force as they traveled across the sands. _I hope they are alright._ She thought to herself. She glanced over to Naruto who was moving at her right side. She could still see the will to fight in his eyes. _I know you want to help, Naruto-kun, but we have to move on._

Naruto on the other hand, wasn't taking things quite was. He was seething with idea of running back towards his friends and fighting against Itachi. In fact, if not for Hinata, he would have turned back a long time ago. _I'm getting sick of hiding, damnit! If they want to come for me, then let me give them something to take with them!_ The Kyuubi vessel thought as they traveled along. He didn't like the idea of leaving them alone with an S-Ranked criminal. Sure, Neji was a Jounin, but Itachi was one of the big three of the bingo book. He was one that bounty hunters didn't bother trying to catch; his reputation was more than enough to keep their greed in check. Either way, Naruto didn't want to let things go as they were. To him it didn't matter if it was now or years from now, he expected to fight the Akatsuki and the old pervert had trained him for that eventuality.

Both Leaf shinobi were so absorbed in their thoughts that they never noticed the flaming mass barreling down on them. Naruto felt the heat and noticed the change in light just in time.

"Hinata!" he gasped as he flung himself towards her. He managed to cover her just in time. The flame missed them, but exploded on the ground nearby. The explosion rocked them both, Naruto receiving the blunt of the punishment as he shielded his teammate. He wasn't able to prevent them from being flung apart.

Naruto found himself tasting sand. He had landed face first in a dune. His body felt numb and weak. Obviously the blast had taken more out of him than he imagined. "H-Hinata? Where are you?" he asked as he looked around. A monstrous crater was ablaze from the blast of the fireball that hit the ground. "Hinata?" he called out again as he saw a lone figure walk out of the darkness towards him.

"Wrong." A voice uttered.

Naruto didn't time to react as he found himself watching the black and crimson eyes of Uchiha Itachi dance in a pattern. The blonde shinobi felt an invisible jolt of some kind hit him in the chest. His mind told him to stand and fight, but he found his legs unresponsive. _Move, legs! Damn you!_ He wanted to shout at himself. Fear, an emotion he rarely experienced, washed over him as the renegade shinobi approached. He was helpless to do anything but watch the wild spinning eyes of the Sharingan user.

"W-What. . . did you. . .do?" Naruto uttered.

"Paralysis Jutsu. A technique created by my clan." Itachi spat. "Don't bother with struggling. I have to remove the jutsu for you to move again. I don't think I will be doing that anytime soon. You know, you have proven to be more trouble than you're worth. However, this ends now." Naruto's eyes grew with each step the Uchiha took towards him. The young boy's mind flashed as he realized he was finally in a situation he couldn't handle. Thoughts of his own demise ran wildly through his head. _I can't go out like this. I still haven't kept my promise. . .I have to protect everyone. . ._

Itachi stood over the panic-stricken Naruto and shook his head. He couldn't believe that this young brat was the carrier of the nine-tailed demon. The most powerful demon in existence, the one that nearly demolished his home village, was housed in a mere child.

From Itachi's view the boy was an unworthy host. _He didn't even put up a fight._ Itachi thought as he looked at the young shinobi sitting in front of him. _His friends were more trouble than he turned out to be. Ridding him of this demon will be doing him and the world a favor. .eh? What's . . ._

Itachi couldn't finish his thought due to a whitish-blue blur blasting his way. His first reaction was to counterattack, but several blows to the mid-section quickly made that idea null and void. The elder Uchiha was sent flying, yet he quickly regained his balance in mid-air and landed gracefully on the ground.

"Oh, I forgot about you." He said with a slight smirk. Hyuuga Hinata blocked his path to Naruto, arms and legs posed in her family's fighting stance. She was breathing heavily but the look of determination in her eyes was unmistakable.

"I won't let you lay a finger on Naruto-kun." she stated.

"That stance . . . you must be part of the Hyuuga clan like that other one," Itachi said. "He put up a good fight you know. Last one standing. He managed a few good blows in the end but it still wasn't enough. And I can tell you aren't quite as good as your kin."

"What did you do to my cousin?"

"If he's lucky, not breathing. I tried to make things painless, but he was a stubborn one."

"Neji..." Hinata whispered. "Please be alive. . ."

Meanwhile Naruto watched this exchange in befuddlement. In all the time that he had known her, not even during her fight with her cousin during the Chuunin Exams, had Hinata looked so confident. He could tell by her posture that she meant every word of her threat to Itachi. Killer intent oozed off her and filled the air. But none of it changed the fact that he had just come face to face with the chakra level of Uchiha Itachi and he knew that the Hyuuga heiress was no match for him.

"Hinata! Get out of here! You're no match for him." Naruto pleaded. He struggled to move his arms but found his efforts futile. "Save yourself!" _Because I can't protect you this time. . ._

"Naruto-kun," she began without turning to face him. "You've saved me more times than I can count. I nearly lost my way once, but you, you showed me the right way. I'm not afraid to die protecting you."

"Hinata, please listen."

"I'm not going anywhere."

It was the most finite statement she ever made to anyone. Naruto knew it was useless to argue with her because he would have done the same thing. The four dead Hokage's would not have been able to drag him away if Hinata were in his position. Tears began to form in his eye.

"Hina-chan. . ." he said finally.

"Naruto-kun. Whatever happens, I have always and will forever love you." She turned her head for a moment and gave him the warmest smile he ever had the pleasure of seeing.

"L-love . . . me?" he stuttered. Her words hit him like a gut punch. _She didn't mean it! She doesn't what I think she means. . . . no, I think she does. Wait-, _"Oh no! Not now! Please don't do this now!"

"Sayonara . . . Naruto-kun." Naruto barely heard her speak as she turned back around to face her enemy. She took off towards Itachi with blinding quickness, her hands aglow with green chakra. Itachi easily dodged her first attack, but was instantly put on the offensive by her continuous combos.

From his vantage point, Naruto looked on in awe. Any time he witnessed Hinata fight, there was always a sense that she was not quite there. She had learned over the years to be more confident her abilities and her skills were still comparable the most of their team. But her moves seemed to lack . . . zeal. But now things were different. Her moves were definite, precise. The grace and fluidity of her movements were coupled with killer instinct. The combination was one that was both beautiful and frightening. The shy, quiet girl he knew and fought beside had morphed into a ferocious tigress. _I knew Hinata was good, but this is incredible._ The blonde boy thought. _I can't believe I didn't see this before. . . She's so amazing, so strong and beautiful . . . . . and . . . . She loves me._ Something inside Naruto warmed over as he watched her hands whirl and strike at the rogue ninja. _Do I feel the same way? Can I return the feelings she has for me_? Naruto pondered his own feelings he silently, but couldn't get past his own confusion. While all of this was going on, Naruto continued to fight the affects of Itachi's jutsu.

While Naruto focused on regaining control over his motor skills, the battle between the S-criminal and the Hyuuga heiress intensified. Itachi had quickened the pace of the fight, but found the girl still matched his tempo. His strikes were either blocked or dodged and while he managed to connect every so often, the girl would not go down. _She's possessed._ The Akatsuki member thought while forming hand seals. "Katon: Ryuuka No Jutsu!" his voice echoed before blowing a large flame towards the dark-haired girl. Hinata stunned him by blocking the attack with a whirling dome of chakra. She silently thanked her cousin for teaching her the more advanced techniques of their bloodline. As soon as she came out of her spin, she launched herself at her foe and took a swipe at his face. Her hands never hit him, but a split second later, a mark of blood appeared where her hand would have landed. Itachi took a moment to wipe away the trickle of blood from his face, and then hurled three kunai towards the girl. Hinata dodged the first two, but the third hit its mark and sunk into the flesh of her arm. Despite the hit, she never missed a beat; instead she landed directly in front of Itachi in the middle of a stance.

"Hand of the Eight Divinations: Sixty-four Palms." She shouted. With speed she never knew she possessed, the girl's first two strikes landed. "Two points!" The next two landed on the man's neck and chest "Four points!" Itachi staggered backwards as the flurry of strikes hit him. "Sixteen . . . twenty . . . thirty-two . . . sixty-four!" She accentuated the final blow with a rough thrust to his chest, the impact flinging him a few feet before he bounced on the ground. Hinata held the position for a few seconds. Her jacket and shirt were torn; bruises on her arms and body were evident. The girl's labored breathing was the only sound to be heard around the area. _Did I do it?_ She thought as she allowed her body to relax for a moment.

"You only hit me the first four times." An ominous voice said from behind her.

The girl's eyes widened at the shock of the voice. Before she could compose herself, she felt a sharp pain in her back. She looked down and saw the tip of a blade sticking out of her chest with blood dripping off of it.

"HIIIIINNNNNNAAAAAAATTTTAAAAAAAAAAA!" Naruto screamed.

Itachi slid the blade out of her back and Hinata watched at Naruto as he screamed at her. Her expression was blank, as if her essence was draining out of her body by the second. Her shirt began to turn a dark maroon color as the blood from the wound spread. Hinata's pupil less eyes stared at the blonde boy as she reached out to him.

"N-Naruto. . . kun. . ." she breathlessly whispered. She never felt her body go limp, as everything went black to the young girl; the body of Hyuuga Hinata hit the ground with a soft thud and the sand below her turned a deep crimson.

"No. . . NO! …. NOOOOOOO!" Naruto agonized. _She's not dead! She's only hurt! She can't be dead! Please don't let the one person in the world who loves me. . . . oh no._ . . The young shinobi started to hyperventilate while he watched Hinata's body. His eyes shifted upwards to the man in black who was standing over her body. The kunai in his hand was soaked with blood. . . her blood. "You," Naruto spat venomously. "You, hurt Hina-chan." There was a deadly edge to the blonde boy's quiet words. Itachi looked at him and noticed a red glow forming around the Kyuubi vessel. "I'll going to send you to HELL!"

The red chakra around Naruto glowed dully and then burst from his body in a rage. A harsh wind blew around him and Itachi felt it whip his hair into his face. He held his hands over his face for a moment. The light died down and he looked again. For the first time in years, Itachi felt a twinge of fear. The demon chakra burned around the boy brightly, its aura flowing out of him in the form of nine tentacle-like tails that lashed out in a fury around his body. Naruto's face was looked more angular and the whisker scars from his birth looking more pronounced. Gone were his cerulean eyes; in their place were two orbs a demonic shade of red. His hands looked less human with his fingers looking longer and the nails appearing long and claw-like. Bent over slightly with his arms out, he didn't have any kind of proper fighting stance. The blonde looked more beast than man to Itachi. The S-class criminal cursed his luck; apparently the demon was active within the child. From the looks of things, it was apparent demons were not what his family had in mind when they created the paralysis jutsu.

"You hurt my friends," Naruto snarled at the man. "then you hurt Hina-chan. . . . I can never, ever, forgive you. I'll make sure you never hurt anyone again!" Itachi has been in a fighting stance the entire time, but he wasn't able to defend himself against what came next. In an instant, the young shinobi vanished and he felt something slash his chest. Nothing but red blurs were visible to him as his body was assaulted by a barrage of gashes. He felt blood rushing out of his wounds as he twisted around trying to catch the boy with his blade. But nothing stopped the Kyuubi carrier's onslaught. It simply looked like a man twisting around in circles wildly. Finally, Itachi crumpled to the ground, body torn and blood everywhere.

Naruto stopped in front of the fallen criminal. No longer did he have the look of pure rage from before. Instead, a blank, lifeless expression was on his face. He looked down at the Uchiha man and raised his clawed hand. "You've taken so much from me. . . ." he whispered. "You took a friend from me even before I knew your name. Your deeds have forfeited your life." Suddenly the wind began to pick up and the body of Itachi flickered as if it were about to disappear. "No. . ." Naruto whispered. He took a swing at the body, but he hit nothing but air. And like that, Uchiha Itachi was gone. "NOOOOOOO!" Naruto shouted. "I'll find you! I'll hunt you down even after I'm dead! Not even Hell will be able to hide you from me!"

Naruto heard of cough behind him. The blood-red orbs in his eyes flickered until they returned to their normal crystal azure hue. Quickly, his body reverted to its normal state, and Naruto blinked his eyes as if just waking up. He turned towards the coughing to see Hinata coughing up blood and struggling to turn herself over. The young shinobi rushed to her side and held her up in his lap.

"Naruto-kun," she managed weakly. "Is that you?"

"Hina-chan, you're still here! Don't worry I'll get you to someplace where you can get help."

"Did you beat him?" she asked.

"Yes, but he got away."

"At least we can accomplish the mission right?" she said.

"I don't care about the mission right now; I just want to make sure you are ok."

"It's alright, I did my job and I can be happy with that." She coughed up a bit of blood, but Naruto wiped it away. "You know what I've always admired about you, Naruto-kun?"

"What's that, Hina-chan?"

"You were always so ready to defend anyone who needed. I've never seen you backed down from a fight, especially when someone you cared about was in danger. I just wanted a chance to prove to someone I cared about that I could defend them."

"You did great, Hinata. I've never seen you fight like that before. You would have whipped Sakura and Ino's asses with those moves." The young girl chuckled at his crassness. It was charming sometimes and it always made her smile.

"Can you forgive me for worrying you?"

"Of course, Hina-chan. Anything you want." He wiped a hair from her face.

"Good, I couldn't die knowing you were mad at me."

"Don't talk like that! You're going to be fine, old lady Tsunade is going to fix you up and we will go have a big dinner and we will forget that this bullshit ever happened! Just tell me how to bandage you up and I'll take you . . . ."

Hinata placed her finger to his lips to quiet him.

"Naruto-kun?"

"Yes, Hina-chan?"

"Please. .. . would you kiss me? I want to know how it feels like to be kissed by the one I love."

With tears in his eyes, Naruto had his first kiss. It was soft and tender, but there was sadness as their lips met. He felt her warmth as she returned the kiss, and for a moment, nothing mattered to him. The whole world would have exploded and he would not have cared. Which made it all the harder when he felt her go completely limp in his arms.

"Oh no. ." he whispered. "Don't leave me, Hinata. . ." he said her name over and over as the tears flowed freely from his eyes. "Wake up, damnit, wake up." He held her face in his hands and looked at her, desperately trying to get her to respond, but nothing came of his efforts. His tears fell on her face and diluted the blood that had dried on her cheeks. The site of his tears on her face only made him sob louder.

"It appears we are too late." A raspy voice said. Naruto glanced up through red, burry eyes to see the Kazakage of the Sand, Gaara, standing above him. He was flanked on each side by his brother and sister. Temari and Kankuro each looked down at Naruto with expressions of pity. Gaara's expression appeared solemn and confused. He had never lost anyone close to him or seen them near death, but he could see that his friend was deeply hurt. That was enough for him to feel sorry for him, even if he didn't completely understand.

"We have to get her help," Naruto said weakly. He picked up the girl and held her limp body out towards the three of them. "Please help me." Gaara looked at Naruto and then looked at the body in his hands.

"Temari, run ahead to the village and tell the medics to prepare themselves," the sand leader spoke. "Kankuro, search the area." His brother and sister nodded before they scattered off to their appointed duties. Gaara looked at his friend and placed his hand on his shoulder. "I will do everything in my power to help save this girl."

"Thank you."

"I owe you this, and more. Think nothing of it."

*****************************

The elder Uchiha had managed to keep himself alive until he felt he was safe enough to stop moving. A few hours of travel had placed him in a relatively secluded spot in a forest near the boarder of the Wind Country. He had given himself ample time to rest up and treat his wounds well enough to travel the long distance to the Akatsuki lair. He would require extensive treatment and rest to fully heal, but it would be worth it in the long run. He had miscalculated when he chose to leave Kisame behind. He would bring him as the puppet master with him on his next attempt to capture the brat.

He leaned up against a tree to give himself a moment to rest. His tattered coat was soaked in blood and sweat. As he looked at his ripped clothing and scared body, he began to laugh. His years as the prodigy of the Uchiha clan and time as an Akatsuki member had numbed him to pain. Years had gone by without him been in any significant danger, so in a sense, he forgot what it felt like to feel physical pain. His power had put him in such a high class as a ninja Itachi had locked away any form of emotion. The fight with the demon carrier had given him a rush. There was a sense of urgency when he was being slashed by the boy's attacks. Itachi felt like he had woken up from a drowsy stupor.

His fingers lightly traced a slash mark over his arm. The dull soreness from the wound tingled and sent sensations across his body.

"So this is what pain feels like. . . I had forgotten." He pondered while rubbing a few drops of blood between his fingers. The rays of the sun filtered through the tree foliage and hit his face as he leaned against the large oak. As he contemplated his next move, thought of all the times he fought with thinking about what could have happened to him. It puzzled to him how he faced so many life-or-death struggles without wondering about the outcome. Was it possible that in his pursuit to becoming the perfect shinobi and obtaining an existence higher than he was given had made him into something other than human? Was it possible that all he truly needed was an opponent who pressed his skills beyond their known limit? A challenge, a danger that was greater than his own power; it was something he turned over in his head. It sat in his spot under the tree for a few minutes thinking of this until his attention was caught by a presence observing him from nearby.

"So you've found me, at last, little brother?"

Sasuke watched his elder sibling from his hiding place for a few moments before finally making his presence known. He knew his brother would sense his chakra eventually so he did nothing to suppress it. In fact, he wanted his brother to know who it was that was stalking him. He jumped down from his perch and landed in front of Itachi. His eyes held a deep scorn for the man he called his brother, and Sasuke wanted to make sure there was no mistaking his emotions.

"I'm come to settle an old debt, Itachi," Sasuke told his older brother.

"So this decides who will be the last of our clan, eh?" Itachi pulled out a kunai from under his cloak and brandished it towards his brother. He appraised his younger sibling from top to bottom and snickered. "It's like looking in a mirror." His younger brother sneered as his remark.

"I'm nothing like you," Sasuke spat. "And I'll prove it, by killing you."

"You'll have to take a number; several people want me to kill me today."

"Well, I had priority years ago. . . . Let's end this."

Sasuke jumped a few feet backward and landed in a ready position. The two Uchiha brothers watched each other intently, blades at the ready. They stood like this for what seemed like an eternity, each waiting for the other to make a move. Finally, both Uchida men rushed each other their eyes active with their clan's infamous bloodline. There was a clash of metal against metal, then the sound of flesh tearing. And as quickly as it began, it was over. The long feud between the two Uchiha survivors had finally come to an end.


	13. Land Of Confusion

Threads Of Fate Land of Confusion

**Land of Confusion**

Rock Lee was in hell.

He had to be in hell. There was no way a human being could be alive and still experience the kind of torture his body was going through.

A dull, aching throb assaulted his head, pounded against the temples like sledgehammers being slammed against his skull. _No amount of training can prepare you for this_. The young taijutsu specialist thought as he struggled to pull his body up from the small impact crater his fall created. He strained with one arm to pull himself in some unknown direction. Lee tried to open his eyes, and found they were almost swollen shut. A jolt of pain shot through his arm as he tried to put weight on it so he could sit up. The young shinobi ended up face first in the dirt, groaning with grass in his mouth. Once the sharp pain subsided, he rolled over on his back and struggled until he sat up straight. Carefully, he laid his palm down on the ground and gritted his teeth. A silent count of three, and he slammed his weight down on his palm. A loud crack from his bones and Lee groaned as he felt his shoulder resetting itself in the socket. Lee's ragged breathing soon began to regulate itself to a somewhat normal pattern, and the young man leaned his back against a tree.

Konoha's resident taijutsu specialist knew what it was like to put his body through. grueling pain. Even before Gai-sensei took him on as his special pupil, Lee had a knack for pushing himself above and beyond what was expected to be healthy. Over the years, his workout regiments developed into sessions that bordered along the lines of the masochist. Few Shinobi could stand one of Lee's private workouts and it wasn't as if anyone was lining up to do so. Unlike most people, Lee did not work to simply build up his body and hone his skills. Oh no, that would be too easy. To the young man, broken bones and shore limbs were simply a warm up. Lee's workouts were about creating a new limit for the body. Everything Lee did was meant to push not only past the physical, but also the mental. It was this training that allowed him to run for miles while sleeping or continue fighting a battle while unconscious. Lee felt that if he punished his body hard enough, that he would break beyond what the mind and body was supposed to be limited to. His theory was that if he could break the threshold then he would be able to reach new levels in terms of being a shinobi. Being tired would mean nothing to the young shinobi; he would be the perfect shoulder and be one step closer to bridging the gap between hard work and natural, genetic talent. To Lee, it was an achievement that would be greater than opening the charka gates. It was "Zen Training" as Shikamaru dubbed it one day when Lee tried to explain the theory to his Chunin squad leader.

However, as Lee struggled to prop himself up in an attempt to stand, he was honestly rethinking his ideas for training. There was no way he could duplicate the horrendous feelings brought on from fighting the elder Uchiha brother. _Perhaps using pain to measure progress isn't quite so helpful after all._ He pondered. Slowly, Lee's left eye began it slit open. The sun stung his eye as they tried to focus on the foliage in the clearing surrounding him. Eventually, he used the tree he was leaning on to prop himself upon his feet. He managed to lean against the tree, but realized he wasn't going to be walking right away when he took a few feeble steps and his legs nearly buckled under his weight.

At some point, Lee's left eye opened enough for him to scan the surrounding forest. He spotted a thick, low-hanging branch that appeared to be partially broken. The shinobi hobbled over to it and shook it to test the sturdiness. Satisfied it would hold, he yanked the branch to snap it free from the tree. A few quick rips of cloth from his already tattered, battle-worn green uniform and Lee had a makeshift crutch. The young man silently cursed as he finally took stock of his situation. _I'll probably be taken off active duty again_, he thought as he sighed. _The Hokage will be think I pushed myself too far again. She always lectures me when I have to visit the hospital after training_. Due to his frequent visits for minor (and sometimes major) injuries, Lee knew that he was in for a good earful from Tsunade when he returned to Konoha.

Rock Lee may have been injured and distracted, but that didn't affect his senses. His ears picked up the snap of a nearby twig and he was instantly alert. The young man steadied himself on his crutch and tried to adopt some semblance of a defensive stance. His breathing stopped and his body was tense as his lone good eye darted around. His ears once again focused in on a stray sound and he shifted his attention from the direction it came from. _It sounds like someone's breathing hard_, he surmised. Lee hobbled along toward the direction of the labored breathing he guessed was only a few yards ahead of him. Whatever or whoever it was seemed to be trying to conceal their position behind a bush, yet were failing miserably. Lee took a deep breath and steeled himself before he peered over the bush.

A was a wide-eyed, frantic-looking Ten-Ten stared back at Lee. In her sweat drenched hands, the young kunoichi clutched a bloody kunai. Her clothing and face were bathed in blood and sweat; her hair frazzled and loose from her trademark buns.

"Ten-Ten?" Lee said as he stepped from behind the bush towards her. "It's me, were you attacked again?" The young girl only acknowledged his appearance with slight tilt of her head in his direction. Instead of looking at him, her glazed eyes focused on everything _but_ Lee.

"W-won't let . . . get me. . ." she managed with a horse whisper. Lee took another step closer to Ten-Ten and the young girl responded by balling up in a fetal position. "GET BACK!" she shrieked. "I WON'T LET YOU GET ME!!!" Her hand's shook violently as she held the blade towards her teammate.

"Ten-Ten, it's me." Lee stopped where he was, the frantic tone of his friend making him forget his own physical pain.

"They will get me. . . everyone will get me. . the eye showed me."

Lee quirked his brow at her incoherent statement. _The eye? She must mean the Sharingan._

"Ten-Ten. Everything will be alright. No one is going to hurt you anymore." He inched closer to her and adjusted his voice to be soothing. _She must have been exposed to Itachi's bloodline limit._

"Get back. . . please, don't hurt. . me" she pleaded between gasping breaths.  
"Ten-Ten. . ."

"GET AWAY!" She lunged out to him as he got closer, sending them both spiraling backwards. Ten-Ten ended up on top of him, her kunai plunged into the young man's shoulder. Lee, to his credit, did not cry out or flinch as the blade tore into his flesh. Suddenly the glazed look in Ten-Ten's eyes started to fade. Her eyes blinked a few times and she shook her head. "L-Lee?" The weapon mistress looked down to see her hand on the handle of the offending weapon and froze. "What have I done?"

Despite his somewhat eccentric personality, Lee was actually a very calm person in tense situations. He was raised to be polite and respectful at all times by his parents, and his idol-worship of Gai taught him that it was unmanly to cry over something like pain. So when he realized that his teammate had come out of her Sharingan-induced craze, he did the only thing that seemed right.

He sat up and hugged her.

Ten-Ten shook in his arms, still not completely sure what was going on. The sudden comfort from her comrade penetrated the haze and the young girl started sobbing on Lee's shoulder.

"Lee, I'm so s-sorry."

"There is nothing to be sorry for." He told her as he embraced his teammate tighter.

"I saw things, Lee. . . it was you. . and Neji. . everyone we know. . even my parents. You were all hurting me. You all were tearing at me, pulling skin, breaking me. . . it was horrid beyond belief." She explained. "All I saw were his eyes. . .I heard his voice telling me to beg for death. . . and I honestly wanted it." Lee listened to his teammate recount Itachi's metal barrage. He could tell by the sound of her voice that she wouldn't be the same after this. The thought that something could break Ten-Ten seriously unnerved the Konoha shinobi. Lee knew he fought along side two of the calmest ninja of his age. Neji was a rock, never allowing anything to crack his mental mask. However, Lee believed that Ten-Ten was even more unshakably strong than the Hyuuga fighter. For Neji, his mental strength came for his family heritage and pride in his eyes. Ten-Ten, on the other hand, had faith in herself to the point that she wouldn't back down from a fight no matter the circumstances. The kunoichi simply didn't care what you threw at her.

For now, Lee would allow his friend to cry. She had experienced something few survived, something their entire squad trained to stand against, and that was enough.

_To see Itachi's power up close is frightening._ He thought as looked down at his shaken teammate. _I can only imagine what Sasuke is capable of_.

*****************************************************************

Inside the Hokage's tower, Konoha's Mission Office opens up everyday at 6:00 a.m. Anyone wishing to submit a mission request for the Hidden Leaf Village needing to file the paper work would have to wait until then. By 7:00 a.m., most new missions were processed and ready to be distributed out to shinobi cells. This leads to the morning scramble of group leaders racing to the tower trying to get the best missions available.

Unlike most team leaders, Nara Shikamaru did not participate in the morning rush to the tower. Certain facts allowed the Chunin leader to leisurely take is time in the morning instead of making a mad dash over the rooftops in hopes of avoiding gardening or patrol duty. First and foremost, ALL of his team's missions were hand picked and assigned by the Hokage herself. Due to the special nature of his unit, Tsunade wanted to make sure she could account for the eleven members of Shikamaru's group at all times. Second, The Hokage never assigned missions before 10:00 a.m. A notorious night owl, the Godaime liked to sleep in and rarely began her day before 9a.m. unless in an emergency. Finally, his team usually trained until noon, so Shikamaru wasn't even expected to report to the office before then. If the Hokage needed any of them before the afternoon, she usually sent a messenger with the details or summoned them to her office.

So for Shikamaru to even be headed in the direction of the Hokage tower at eight in the morning was an anomaly in itself. Combine that with the fact they the team was supposed to have the day off and one might consider this to be a sign of the apocalypse. For Shikamaru, a day like today was supposed to be spent sleeping in, playing a few games of shoji and perhaps an afternoon in the park staring at the sky_. I can't believe I'm wasting a perfectly good day off looking for work. I must be out of my mind_.

Shikamaru chuckled to himself as pondered his situation. . . and the conversation leading up to it. . . .

*******************************************************************

"You will lose in ten moves."

"Are you serious, woman?" Shikamaru arched his eyebrow as he glanced sideways at Ino. Her pearl-like teeth seemed to glow as she smiled at him from across the playing board.

"I'm perfectly serious," The tip of Ino's slender finger slid slowly over a game piece on the board before she coiled it into her palm.

"Ino, Asuma-Sensei can't even beat me anymore. You stopped playing me when we were genin. What makes you think you can beat me now?" The girl did not look at him, instead more interested in the pieces on the board than his statement. She bit her lip pensively as she began to play with a few pieces, randomly placing them on the board in mock moves.

"Because, Shika, I can," Ino answered him no differently than if she was talking about the weather. She had come by to visit him this particular evening, nothing out of the ordinary. Finding him involved in a particularly dull game with his father, Ino asked to play him for old-times sake.

"Ino, be reasonable. . ."

"What's wrong, Nara, are you frightened you'll lose to a girl?"

The proverbial gauntlet was thrown to the ground. There were very few things in life that Shikamaru was passionate about. One of them was Go. It was the one place in his world that allowed him to be lazy and still come out on top. For Ino to come into his home and challenge him like this was borderline insanity. _I haven't lost a game in two years and she thinks she can beat ME??_

"Ok, here's the deal," he began. "If I win, no gossiping or shopping for a week." For the first time, a flicker of uncertainty played within the girl's azure eyes. _Take that_. Shikamaru though. However, the unsure look in her eyes turned into a hint of deviousness. Ino's mouth curled into a devilish smile as she fluttered her eyes at her teammate.

"And when I win," she counter while sliding the pieces back in place. "You have to adhere to whatever request I desire." Now it was Shikamaru's turn to be afraid. The smug look in Ino's eyes told him that something wasn't right. Still, this was his turf.

"Deal." He told her as he made his first move.

********************************************************************

It turned out Ino didn't beat him in ten moves; she beat him in seven. The shock on his face as the blonde kunoichi made her final move was priceless. The girl knew every move he was going to make, and she was so far ahead of him that Shikamaru never saw her oncoming setup. When he asked her how she did it, the golden-haired beauty simply told him all those years of watching him and Asuma play taught her a few things. Sure she never played regularly, but she knew her friend's skills well enough to predict what he would do. Combine that with the fact that Shikamaru wasn't even trying hard created the perfect situation for an upset.

It was one game that was responsible for Shikamaru being up early in the morning on his day off. Ino's request was that her Chunin field leader would pick her up from her residence and spend the day as her date. This meant, according to her, he was required to pay for not less than two meals at restaurants of her choosing, at least one day activity, and a night of dancing. He was also required to dress for the occasion, as Ino would not be seen with someone who looked like a bum. Knowing Ino as well as he did, Shikamaru knew any place Ino chose would be upscale. So in an effort to comply with said requests, Shikamaru was going to take up a few extra missions for money. He figured he could take at least two quick C-Ranks before the day was over; just enough cash to get him over the top. And while he had complained to Choji about how bothersome the whole arrangement was, the brown-haired teen couldn't say it was an unfavorable situation.

He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he was looking forward to it.

Shikamaru glanced up as two shadows whisked overhead. Two ANBU members were roof-top hopping towards the tower. That in itself wasn't strange. However, what caught his attention were the ten other members he noticed closing in on the tower from various directions. _They usually don't mobilize like that unless there's a meeting or a huge mission_. The Nara stopped in the middle of the street and continued to watch as more ninja began to make their way towards the tower over the village's roof-top highway. _What the hell is going on here?_

"Shikamaru, I was just looking for you."

The Chunin didn't flinch as he already felt Kakashi's presence coming before he landed next to him. He continued to watch the growing number of shinobi mobilizing. "I was on my way to the Hokage's tower. . . why is everyone heading that way?" he asked his sensei.

"As of early this morning, the Hokage has activated all high ranking units and doubled the patrols within the village walls," the silver-haired jounin explained. "Someone broke into the records room last night."

************************************************************************

"Hokage-sama, we have found which records have been tampered with." The ANBU soldier wore the mask of a bear and his lanky body looked awkward as he kneeled behind Tsunade.

"Anything missing?" The Godaime asked him as she turned to face him.

"No, Hokage-sama. We found nothing missing from the mission logs. However, the only files broken into were the sealed mission scrolls."

The female Sanin frowned at this new development. She turned her back to the ANBU messenger again and took another look around the room. The Chunin in charge of opening the office came in and found the lock to the room was destroyed. Anything dealing with village records was instantly a Hokage-level issue, so Tsunade was immediately alerted.

"Which ones were opened?" the Hokage asked.

"Only the missions dealing with the Konoha Eleven squadron."

Tsunade didn't show it, but inside her blood began to chill at the mention of Kakashi's unit. None of those files were processed by anyone but herself or Shizune. While they weren't usually classified missions, it was common knowledge that anything involving the eleven members of that unit was not touched by anyone unless ordered to by the Hokage. This bothered her greatly, because whoever broke in had some knowledge of the inner workings of the office. This meant she might have a possible infiltrator on her hands.

"Which ones were opened?"

"Just the most recent mission logs, Hokage-sama." The messenger replied. "It seems they only opened the last three scrolls. However, it appears they also read an unsealed scroll you just filed the day before." Again, the female Hokage frowned as she listened.

"The escort mission I just filed?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama. I believe it is a B-Rank escort mission. . . ."

"Are you sure those are the only files that were tampered with?"

"Yes Hokage-sama."

Tsunade finally showed a bit of displeasure when she slammed her fist down on the nearby desk. The loud thud caused the buzzing activity in the office to freeze as all the investigators stopped what they were doing to watch the poor oak desk crack underneath the Fifth's massive strength. An administrative worker who was assigned to the records office groaned as he noticed the now broken piece of furniture. Tsunade grunted audibly and the room quickly got back to work. She ground her teeth and began to pace the floor. _Someone knew exactly where to find what they were looking for_. She thought. _But what was it they wanted? What were they trying to find out?_ _Oooh! I HATE when my days start like this_! A security breach of this magnitude is not something Konoha needed right now. With different groups on the move and a possible war on her hands, the last thing Tsunade needed was a traitor in her ranks.

"Tsunade-sama!" The Hokage turned when she heard her assistant call her. In Shizune's arms was Tsunade's youngest apprentice. "I found Sakura headed this way a few moments ago." The Sanin was instantly at her side to inspect her pupil. On the outside, Sakura looked fine, but she could tell by her the pained expression on the girl's face that she had been in a fight. More importantly, the expression also told her that Sakura _lost_ said altercation.

"What happened?" Tsunade asked.

"We have to get to Naruto!" the pink-haired girl said as Shizune helped her sit down. "Sasuke was here last night!"

"The Uchiha was here?" Sakura nodded.

"He's after Naruto. . . said something about needing him to find his brother. I t-tried to stop him. . . ." Sakura lowered her head, unable to go on.

_So that's who was here last night!_ Like a switch being thrown in her head, everything made sense. "Shizune! Get Kakashi here immediately!" She shouted. The dark-hair assistant snapped to attention and gave a quick nod of acknowledgement before dashing off to find the jounin sensei. The Hokage then turned to her younger charge. "How bad are you hurt?"

"Not badly, I just need to rest a bit."

"You have an hour; afterwards you need to be packed and ready to travel. You will be accompanying me."

"Where are we going?" The girl asked her sensei.

"We're going to try and save that brat teammate of yours." Tsunade turned on her heels and headed out of the room.

************************************************************************

Get away.

He had to get away.

For the last six hours, Uchiha Sasuke had traveled across the Country of Wind and climbed the mountains that served as the boarder between Rock Country and Wind Country. He didn't know why he was going in that direction, but he knew he had to put as much distance between him and Hidden Sound as possible. He hadn't thought much as to what he would do once he stopped to rest but, as he traveled over the dessert landscape on his way to the mountain boarder, he figured he could disappear fairly quickly once he got into one of the most hostile ninja countries. He might be able to travel by sea to the western expanse, a part of the world few from the five shinobi powers dared venture. It didn't matter to him where he ended up; all he wanted was to leave everything of this world behind.

The raven-haired teen instantly ruled out returning to Konoha. Despite the determination of his former friends, he knew he would not be welcomed back by the Hokage and the council. He had already been labeled an S-Class missing ninja. If he was lucky, Tsunade would allow him to pick his burial spot under the prison. And even if he had become powerful in his years away from Hidden Leaf, he knew his chances of fighting a Sanin and surviving would be slim.

As for Hidden Sound. . .

Sasuke always knew he wouldn't stay there. Hidden Sound was never his home, never a place he _wanted_ to be. Otogakure was a means to an end; a way to defeat and kill his brother and nothing more. He had never bothered trying to get to know anyone while he lived there, nor did he entertain anyone's attempts to get close to him. Like his younger days in Konoha, he had his share of women admirers who vied for his attention. As he had been in his youth, Sasuke dismissed the Sound Kunoichi like he did ones from Konohagakure. He had no time to form bonds, nor did he trust anyone from Orochimaru's ranks.

Of course, there was also Orochimaru himself. Above all else, Sasuke knew returning to Otogakure meant submitting his body to the Snake Sannin's will. While it had only been spoken of once, the agreement between the Uchiha teen and Sound Leader had been clear each day the former Konoha ninja lived in Oto; Sasuke would be given the training needed for defeating his brother and Orochimaru would receive the young man's body as a vessel. Sasuke traded his life for the means to kill Itachi, but the truth was he wasn't willing to pay the price.

For one thing, Sasuke still wanted to revive his clan. He knew no amount of reasoning would convince Orochimaru to allow him time to find a suitable mate and enough time to raise at least one child. If anything, the reptilian man would only take pleasure in refusing the young man's final wish. If wasn't as if either of them felt committed to each other as master and apprentice. Even though he had pledged his life to the Snake man, Sasuke defied Orochimaru every little way he could. The Uchiha refused the Sound Village headband when presented with it, and for almost a year, he refused to wear the gear provided to him. Instead he preferred to wear his tattered Konoha clothing until it fell apart. He would never voice it but he took pleasure in being downright rude to the Orochimaru. This was a sticking point that got him into more than one confrontation with. . .

"Hello, Sasuke-kun**."**

Sasuke sighed as he stopped his forward progress. The biting wind blasted his face with cold air and his feet sunk into the snow on the ground. He turned around slowly, not wishing to see the smiling face of the Sound shinobi he knew would be behind him.

"Why are you here, Kabuto?" he asked in a wary voice.

"I'm here to protect Orochimaru-sama's investment," he stated with a calm demeanor. He started to walk around Sasuke with a slight bounce in his step.

"Orochimaru must have been short on men if he actually sent you after me." Sasuke told him. If the quip from the younger man bothered Kabuto, he didn't show it.

"Orochimaru-sama provided me with a means to make sure you don't get too far away. "

"You still cannot beat me, Kabuto. It's pointless for you to even try. I've already proven that you can't stand against me."

"Ah, but you misunderstand, Sasuke-kun," the smug Sound ninja stated. "I don't have to beat you; Orochimaru has made sure to that."

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you really think Orochimaru would let you loose without a leash?" Kabuto asked him. Sasuke gave the man a dark look. Kabuto's almost jovial mood was grating on Sasuke's nerves. "Lord Orochimaru knew you would try to leave without holding up your end of things. So you had a fail safe in place for your eventual betrayal."

"It's hard to betray someone you were never loyal to in the first place."

"That was always your problem, wasn't it, Sasuke-kun!" The mask that Kabuto wore finally cracked as his eyes flashed their displeasure at Sasuke. "You were always so insolent."

"Enough for your bullshit, Kabuto. Orochimaru and his petty vendetta's mean nothing to me," he emphasized his words by poking Kabuto in the chest. "And you're pathetic brown-nosing mean even less than nothing."

"Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke," Kabuto chuckled as he shook his head. "You don't understand the gift that Orochimaru has given you. He gave you a means to achieve your dreams and given you so almost limitless power. Most of all, he has offered you eternal life."

"You call sacrificing my life and freewill for the greater good of Orochimaru a gift? Preach your brainwashing propaganda somewhere else." Sasuke turned away from the med-nin. "I grow tired of you, Kabuto."

"I can't allow you to have your way." Kabuto pushed his glasses up on his nose before reaching into the small pack strapped to his leg. From it, he produced what appeared to be a large crystal in a sinister-looking violet hue. Almost immediately the crystal began to emit a lavender light. Sasuke instinctively reached up to the seal on his neck as his nerves began to prickle. He turned to face a triumphantly grinning Kabuto holding the stone in the air by its chained necklace.

"What. Is. THAT?" The teen spat thru gritted teeth. His hand started to shake as he pointed at the stone in Kabuto's possession. Sasuke blinked a few times once he noticed his vision beginning to blur and fade.

"This is the crystallized form of the cursed seal," the Sound lackey explained as he moved closer to the now kneeling Sasuke. "Lord Orochimaru needed a way to keep his creations in check, so he found a way to harness the power of the seal and infuse it with charka. Once a person exposed to Orochimaru-sama's mark comes in contact with this crystal, they become weakened and have their charka drained. By now your body should be feeling rather heavy." Sasuke took inventory of his senses; indeed his arms and legs started to feel like lead weights. And as suddenly as he felt his life force being drained from his body, he also felt a new sensation. He doubled over and groaned as a wave of nausea overtook him.

"W-what have you done to me?!" he managed to stutter as he tried to recover from the reeling dizziness. Kabuto only chuckled as he leaned over the runaway shinobi.

"The mighty Uchiha Sasuke: So smug, so arrogant, and unable to show any humbleness to those who have helped him." A swift kick in the side from Kabuto sent Sasuke rolling in the snow. "By the way, there was a worm tailing me earlier, so I had to squish it. I hope you don't mind Sasuke-kun. I also seem to remember you breaking my hand a little while back. I think it's only fair I show you the same kindness . . . tenfold."

****************************************************************************

"Uzumaki-san, please sit down. I know the doctor allowed you to wait here, but you are still a patient in this hospital. You still need to rest so you can fully recover."

Naruto ignored the nurse who tried to get him to sit down in the waiting area. For three hours, the Konoha ninja paced across the carpeted lounge with a worried expression. The various beeps from the equipment within the hospital had served as a cruel time keeper. Each drop from a nearby fluid pack or buzz from a monitor only emphasized the minutes that passed while his teammates were behind the ER door.

He had traveled with the Sunagakure medical team assigned to bring in Hinata. The trip had been torture for Naruto, who couldn't help but sneak glances at the Hyuuga girl as she lay on the stretcher unmoving and covered in blood. Upon arrival, he caused a scene when he was separated from Hinata and taken by a group of doctors assigned to check for injuries. Only Gaara's influence kept the blonde shinobi from trashing the examining room. It was Gaara who now waited patiently beside Naruto, choosing to allow his brother Kankuro and his advisor Baki to take over his political duties.

About an hour after the doctor's cleared Naruto, the Suna hospital was abuzz again as the remaining three teammates who helped escort him were found and brought in. He managed to speak to Lee briefly before the dark-haired boy was whisked into the ER. The young man looked much worse than he sounded -and, to Naruto, Lee looked like crap. Despite having broken bones and a stab wound in his shoulder, Lee managed to flash his trademark smile and signal a thumbs-up to his friend. All at once, Naruto felt better about his teammate going into surgery; after all, it wasn't like it wasn't a fairly normal occurrence back home. Lee had logged in more time in the emergency room in their home village than anyone cared to admit.

Ten-Ten, and Neji on the other hand, had been another situation.

Like Hinata, Neji had been brought in on a stretcher. He was unconscious with various splints and braces all over his body. Apparently, he received the worst physical beating of the three, which was something Naruto found a bit odd. Of the three, he figured his mission leader would have been the one to take the lightest beating. Just as his friend was bustled past and into the ER, Naruto heard a shrieking wail coming from down the hall. He turned to see Ten-Ten struggling against a few nurses and doctors as they tried to bind her in a straight jacket. The color ran from his face as Naruto watched the young girl kick and struggle against the men on either side who were restraining her arms. All he could hear her scream was "Don't let him get me!" over and over. Somehow, seeing Ten-Ten in such an emotional state was unnatural. _Things are night not right with the world right now_, the young man thought as he shook his head in disgust. He didn't know how he would do it, but he would make Itachi pay in spades for harming his friends. _I'll repay him for this: For Neji, for Lee, Ten-Ten and especially for Sasuke and Hinata_.

His mind wandered to the indigo-haired girl who was laying on an operating table somewhere in another part of the hospital, away from him. Each time he tried to calm himself down, the vision of Itachi's blade sticking out of her abdomen chilled him and stood his nerves on end. He tried to occupy his mind by talking to Gaara and sending word back to Konoha of the situation, but he could only feel her lips growing cold as he replayed the kiss in his mind. He presses his finger to his lower lip and glanced down at it. How the hell could he have not saved her? Why wasn't he able to save all of them?

How cruel it had been to discover love on the battlefield? All his life, Naruto had been a stranger to attention, but it appeared that the love he so dearly craved had been right up under his nose. He replayed all the events that involved him and Hinata and he slowly pieced together all the signs. The late night visits to check up on his health, even the home cooked meals and late night conversations at his apartment. _She really put a lot of effort in me_, he pondered while reminiscing about one particular night where he fell asleep after a meal with the Hyuga girl. Hell, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that Hinata's affections predated their Genin days.

The young man felt foolish for being so ignorant of Hinata's emotions. How could he have not seen it? How painful must it all have been for her; each hug he pulled her into. . . all the times he could grab onto her hand when he was upset; Even the off times when she would lay her head on his lap and sleep after a long day. He never once questioned her intentions. He would have treated all the girls in his squad with the same respect. Hinata had been in her own category, but for the most part Naruto was a gentleman to all of them.

Which made his obliviousness all the more patronizing.

He groaned as he finally took a seat and covered his face with his hands.

"Gaara, how could I have been so foolish?" The burgundy-haired teen turned to watch his friend.

"It was not your fault Itachi attacked your team," Gaara stated.

"That's not what I meant," Naruto's arms waved of the statement, even if he was feeling a bit of guilt from that as well. _They wouldn't have been injured if Itachi wasn't looking for me. ._ "I mean how could I have been so careless about Hinata's feelings?" Gaara stared at the blonde boy with confusion in his eyes.

"Did you do something to hurt her?" he asked. Over the last two years, Gaara's growth in interacting with his fellow man had been staggering. But he still had a long ways to go before understanding matters of the heart.

"Yes. . . I mean, not really . . . well, sort of," Naruto's ramblings were not helping Gaara understand any better. "While we were out fighting Itachi, Hinata defended me. I was caught in a genjutsu and she tried to save me."

"It sounds like she is a worthy teammate."

"It's not just that," Naruto explained. "Before she faced off with Itachi, she told me that she. . . s-she loved me." The smile she had flashed him before turning to battle played in his head and he adopted a sullen expression.

"So she has feelings for you?" the sand vessel questioned. Naruto nodded.

"When she charged Itachi, I've never seen her look for powerful or so beautiful . . . and just like it was nothing, he cut her down."

"Am I to assume that you care for her in the same way she cares for you?"

"I think so. . . I hope so. I don't exactly know what love is. But I was completely oblivious to her until she told me that she loved me." Naruto sighed and slumped down in his seat.

"I'm not sure how love works either," Gaara began. "I know that I care for my brother and sister. I care for their well being and I only desire to protect them. I also care about my village and the people who inhabit it. I would gladly give my life for them. Would you do the same of this girl?" Naruto perked up at the question. As he pondered his answer, his lips formed a small smile.

"For her, I would gladly give up my life."

"Wouldn't that mean you love her like she loves you? It must mean something if you are both willing to sacrifice so much for the sake of the other"

Naruto grinned at his fellow demon vessel.

"Gaara, I thought you didn't understand love." Again, the look of confusion flickered in the young Kazakage's emerald orbs. "You might have the best insight of anyone I know."

"I don't think I understand what you mean." Naruto chuckled as he gave Gaara a pat on the back.

"You seem to know more about love than you realize, my friend."

"I'm happy to be able to help. . . . Even if I don't understand how I did it."

For the first time in almost a day, Naruto laughed**.**


	14. Under Pressure

Threads of Fate Under Pressure

**Chapter 13 – Under Pressure **

Sakura never had a chance to get any rest before she left with Tsunade's escort detail. The sannin apprentice managed to slip into the Hokage's office and lay down on a couch, but she couldn't get any sleep. Every time her eyes shut images of her closest friend in danger played through her mind. If she wasn't waking up from thoughts of Naruto in danger, then it was a replay of her confrontation with Sasuke.

So when it came time for her to mobilize with the of Tsunade's detail, she was still frazzled and tried. Still, Sakura was a ninja and she knew her duty. In the caravan, she took her mentor's left side opposite Shizune, just as it had been any other time they left the village as Tsunade's guard.

Still, nothing seemed to be right with her. Out the outside, she tried to pay as much attention to her surroundings as possible. It did little to keep her thoughts from wandering back to her former teammates from Team Seven. _Naruto, please be alright._ She pleaded in her innermost thoughts_. You have to be alive when I find you. . ._

She tuned her face as she wiped away a small tear forming in the corner of her eye. The young apprentice silently cursed herself; now was not the time for emotional breakdowns. The convoy had crossed over Wind Country's boarder about an hour ago and they still had at least two hours before they reached Sunagakure. Kiba, who had been assigned to the detail as scout and tracker, had found a fresh battle site near the boarder with samples of blood around it. He and Akumaru confirmed that the blood belonged to members of Neji's squad. That bit of news had put everyone on edge. The only thing that seemed to ease the group's tensions is that Kiba's canine companion found the scent of what Kiba believed to be Suna ninja. When asked how he knew, Kiba simply grinned before answering.

"All of them have a distinct sent. Even those three siblings from there have it. Akumaru and I will never forget a smell."

The convoy followed the Inuzuka while he trailed the sent of their friends across the boarder. Sakura was even more nervous now as they crossed the windy dunes of the dessert country. Try as she might, the pink-haired girl couldn't hide the frown from her face.

"Hey, he's going to be alright." Sakura turned her head to the person who woke her from her haze. Ino smiled at her fellow kunoichi and winked. "Naruto is fine. You'll see."

"You seem so sure and yet you barely know him."

"Oh I know him well enough," the azure-eyed girl told her friend. "I've done my share of missions with him and we have even hung out a few times here and there." Sakura quirked a brow at her friend's statement. _Ino and Naruto hanging out?_

"When did this happen?"

"Oh just a few times after missions or when we've run into each other." Ino explained. "I think he was just being nice mostly. Treated me to lunch a couple of times too. He speaks of you and Hinata often." Sakura managed a small smile.

"So why do think he's alright?"

"I don't think Naruto knows how to die."

"Eh?"

"Every time I've talked to Naruto, he's always going on and on about how he needs to get stronger. I've never met someone so determined and driven. Even Lee's passion for training seems to pale in comparison to Naruto's determination to be Hokage. When we were kids in the academy, I thought he was a silly little boy when he would shout about how he would be the best Hokage in history. Now that I've seen him in action, I don't think it's impossible." Ino placed a finger to her lip as if she were lost in thought. "It's somewhat charming. . . I wish a certain shinobi had such ambition," Her eyes cut to the front of the group and locked onto the back of Shikamaru. Sakura giggled at the implication of her friend's glance. The two kunoichi had spoken at great length about Ino's infatuation with the lazy genus. Ino rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to her friend. "But then, I'm telling you nothing you don't already know, ne?"

"Yeah, Naruto doesn't seem to know the meaning of the word quit."

"Exactly. I believe if Naruto died, he would challenge whatever god that rules the afterlife just so he could come back to the land of the living. I also think he would be willing to face anything if it meant your happiness," Sakura couldn't keep her cheeks from getting a rosy tint that matched her hair. "I have to say, Sakura, I'm a bit jealous of you for that. I can't say I've ever had someone so devoted to me. I'm also disappointed in you because of it."

"What are you taking about?"

"I'm taking about you not seeing what's in front of you," Ino emphasized her statement by poking Sakura in the forehead. "You should give him a chance."

"Ino, we've had that discussion before. . ." Sakura lowered her voice to a harsh whisper.

"I know, I know, you still have feelings for someone else," Ino wisely didn't bother to give names. She knew how touchy her friend could be. "Look at it again, can you still say you still love him? He hurt you again and again."

"Sasuke he –"

"But you also can't deny something's there between you and Naruto. Honestly the guy would kill himself for just thinking that he'd hurt you. But then again, I suppose you might not have to worry about it much longer."

"Ok, Ino, I'm starting to get tired of the cryptic statements." The platinum blonde shrugged.

"All I'm saying is you aren't the only one who's paid more than a passing glance at the boy." Sakura narrowed her eyes and shifted them around a bit. "And while I know your heart is devoted elsewhere, you might be missing out on something great that's here for you now. Don't wait too long for something that might not come back. You may lose out to someone else in the long run."

"Who are you talking about?" The sannin apprentice's eyes' flashed as she spoke.

"Now what fun would it be if I told you about your competition?" Sakura grumbled as she turned away from a very smug-looking Ino.

******************

Sasuke was sure he heard a crunching noise as his body slammed into the concrete wall.

The young ex-Konoha nin hacked up a mouthful of blood and spat it out on the floor. He tried to stand up but was knocked back down by a swift before he could even get to his knees. The impact of the kick sent more blood flying from his bruised mouth.

"Oh you have no idea how happy this makes me," Kabuto gloated. The unrestrained glee from Orochimaru's right hand man only angered Sasuke more. _If I get out of this, I swear I will kill him with my bare hands._ He thought as he looked up at the Sound ninja. "Oh if only you could see yourself right now; Uchiha Sasuke being dragged in chains through the Hidden Village of Sound. It was so much fun watching you struggle as you tried to resist," The Oto ninja leaned closer and pulled Sasuke eye level with him by his hair. "You don't know the pleasure it brought me to be the one who dragged you over that gravel road as the rest of Hidden Sound looked on. I will treasure this moment for the rest of my life."

"Fuck you, you slimy toad of a lackey." Sasuke croaked at Kabuto with as much venom as he could muster.

"Such language. I'm sure you're mother would not have approved." Sasuke, tired of listening to Orochimaru's lackey, simply responded by spitting in Kabuto's face. He smiled triumphantly as he watched his blood-infused spit dribbled down the Sound Ninja's face and glasses. The enraged Kabuto repaid Sasuke with a swift gut punch. Sasuke smiled despite the pain he got from the blow: it was all worth it to see the enraged lackey's face turn red.

"You know, Sasuke," Kabuto began. "We should have been friends. We have a lot in common. We are both orphans. We were both called by Orochimaru because he saw something great in us. We both betrayed Konoha . . ."

"I did what I had to do."

"You turned your back on everything and everyone who cared about you for the chance to kill your brother. You made a deal with the devil and now it's time to pay up." The Sound shinobi turned and walked over to one of the tables filled with equipment and picked up a syringe. He had no fear of turning his back on the boy because he had chained the crystal seal to the boy to keep him in his weakened state. To Kabuto, Sasuke was no longer a threat to him . . . or anyone else for that matter.

"Orochimaru would be very upset with me if I damaged his prized body," he said as he drew an unknown substance into the syringe. "But I'm sure as long as nothing is permanently damaged he won't mind if I have a little fun with you. Orochimaru-sama has been gone for a few days now and he won't be back for some time. I figure we can get to know each other really well until then."

"I will not become the vessel for that madman." Sasuke gurgled as blood filled his mouth.

"You don't have much of a choice. Face it; your gamble didn't pay off. You should have stayed in Konoha. At least there they would have given you everything you wanted."

Sasuke didn't want to think about Konoha. As the man stepped closer, it truly dawned on him the situation he was in. _I'm out of options._ He thought as he watched Kabuto_. I didn't win and my eyes didn't guarantee anything. All I did, all my training and planning was for nothing._ The Uchiha teen hung his head in defeat and closed his eyes. Sasuke knew whatever twisted fate Kabuto has created for him would push him to the limits of sanity. While he did not want to give the man the satisfaction of breaking, he knew Kabuto's reputation for playing the subjects for his experiments. He steeled himself and awaited the torture to come. Yet instead of the impending prick of the needle, he got an explosion. His eyes shot open only to see the room he was in being destroyed by a fireball. Kabuto, however, had no time to react as he was engulfed by the flame. Sasuke, despite being weak due to his tormentor, took great pleasure in hearing the Oto-nin screaming as the flames melted and fried his skin. He could see the panicked expression on his face as he howled and ran around with his arms flailing around.

As quickly as the fireball appeared, it vanished. There were charred reminds of equipment and furniture scattered around the room, some of it still enflamed. Kabuto was still ablaze, but seemed to realize he needed to drop to the ground and start rolling around. Sasuke knew where the fireball came from, but he couldn't believe it. His mind refused to believe the truth.

A cloaked figure walked into the room charred room towards the Uchiha teen. By now, the twisted body of Kabuto stood up. He had managed to put out the flames that had engulfed him and amazingly, he was up on his feet. Sasuke noted the Oto-ninja no longer had a look a smug satisfaction on his face. In fact, there wasn't much left of his face at all. Kabuto's skin was now a bloodied collection of burns and open wounds. Bits of flesh hung off his face, exposing muscle and bone. Most of his hair had been burned off, leaving only random patches across his scalp. Much of his clothing has infused with his skin, creating a second skin to what was left of his twisted form. To Sasuke, he looked like one of Orochimaru's reanimated corpses before he tired it to a soul. The only thing that looked alive were Kabuto's eyes. They glared hatred at the cloaked figure who as his made his way to where Sasuke was laying on the ground.

"You're supposed to be dead." Kabuto pointed a bloody finger at the interloper.

"As you can see for yourself, I'm still living." The dark figure reached down and began to undo the chains that imprisoned Sasuke. However, the young Uchiha didn't show is rescuer any gratitude.

"Why in hell are you here?" he questioned as the felt his bonds bring released.

"I thought you still had a vendetta with me, little brother," His cloak fell back from his head revealed the battered face of Uchiha Itachi. "In order for you to settle things, you need to be alive."

"I'd rather die than accept help from you."

"I truly don't care about your foolish little pride. No matter what you think, you are also my mission."

"You're mission?" This confused Sasuke even more.

"My organization is in direct competition with Orochimaru," he explained. "If I were to let him have you, then it would make things harder for us than it already is. Besides, I would rather kill you myself than allow that snake to have our family's eyes."

A kunai flying at his head cut Itachi's explanation short. The missing ninja quickly moved out of the way of the oncoming projectile with his brother in tow. As he landed, he laid his brother's beaten form on the ground next to him. He finally stood up to face the burnt Oto-nin.

"I should cut out your tongue for your disrespect, Itachi," Kabuto said. Itachi was mildly surprised the shinobi was able to move, much less throw a kunai.

"You seem to be more trouble than your worth. No wonder Orochimaru keeps you around. A roach is the only creature more resilient than a snake." Kabuto responded to Itachi with a rain of shuriken in his direction. Itachi was already moving before the flying blades reached him. The two ninja circled around the room, throwing various projectiles at each other. Neither was able to get a clean shot at each other.

Sasuke knew his brother was toying with Kabuto. He knew Itachi was injured and tired, but even in his weakened state he would still be more than a match for the Oto-nin. There was a perverse pride in watching his sibling work the sound ninja over, but he still hated the fact that it was his brother who came to his rescue. If things had turned out differently in the forest, Sasuke would be more upset than he already was. . . .

**********************

_Sasuke stood in the clearing, blade in hand with blood dripping from the tip. Kneeling a few yards away was a battered and injured Itachi. Sasuke tilted his head to the side as he watched his brother gasp for breath, something he had never seen as a child. It was such a strange sight view . . . one that surprisingly unsettled the younger Uchiha brother._

_It had only taken one strike to take his brother down. One strike and Sasuke drew blood from the abdomen of one of the most famous missing ninja in the history of Konoha. All his planning and training had led to this moment._

_Yet, as he stood over his brother, he felt nothing._

_No happiness, no joy, no triumph in his deed. As he met the stare of his brother's Sharingan-infused eyes, Sasuke realized without a doubt he could kill him. The great Uchiha Itachi was at his mercy; very much a reversal from so many years ago when he stood before his brother and saw the devil in his eyes. _

"_This isn't right," he muttered as he rushed his brother and decked him. The elder brother flew backward into a nearby boulder. "Why? Why isn't it right!" Sasuke was upon his brother before he settled on the ground, franticly assaulting him with his fists. "Why is it I can beat you so easily?" He stopped after a watching Itachi's face reshape itself from the beating. Younger brother held the elder by his collar while the oldest began to laugh._

"_So you finally got what you wanted, eh?" Itachi's laugher seemed to echo within Sasuke's mind. "You have me where you want and you can't even understand it. And here I never thought you would were reach your true potential. Don't you realize it yet? No matter how much train, how easily you kill me, it won't change anything! They are DEAD! I KILLED THEM AND YOU CAN'T BRING THEM BACK!"_

"_No, this isn't how it's supposed to be," Sasuke's voice seemed to fail him as he spoke. "You aren't at full strength. I can tell." He tossed his brother to the ground with a disgusted look on his face. "I can't kill you like this."_

_Itachi looked up from the ground, face twisted in anger._

"_You are weak!" the elder Uchiha snarled. "You here you have your revenge in the palm of your hand and you are too afraid to take it! _

_Sasuke drove two kunai into his brother's shoulders with such a vicious thrust that Itachi never saw it coming. He began to spit up blood all over his cape._

"_Now you listen here, you sick bastard." Sasuke's words dripped with hatred as he spoke. "It's YOUR turn to be afraid. You HATE me. You FEAR me. You come look for ME when YOU think you can kill me. And rest assured when that day comes, we will settle this once and for all." Sasuke took one last look at his brother before leaving him in the small clearing of the forest._

******

Sasuke heard the scream of Kabuto and watched as the man fell to the ground. He was now missing his right leg and left hand. He lay on his back like some misshapen turtle desperately trying to turn over on his stomach. Itachi gracefully landed next to his brother and reached down to help him off the ground.

"You Uchiha will pay!" Kabuto screeched as he continued to upright himself. "Neither of you will escape the wrath of Lord Orochimaru. He'll make both of you beg for the sweet release of death!"

"You always were a big mouth." Sasuke said as he limped toward the door with his brother's aid.

"Pray that I never see you again, Sasuke."

"I will be praying to all gods in existence that I will see you again so I can shove a chidori up your ass."

If anyone from Konoha as seen them, they would have thought it was a sign of world's impending doom: The Uchiha brothers, the last of the famed clan and bitter enemies, walking side by side holding each other up as they began their escape from Orochimaru's nightmarish village.


End file.
